


Remember me

by daniebanaanie



Category: f(x)
Genre: Dark Love, F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-08-29 18:19:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 35
Words: 143,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8500258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daniebanaanie/pseuds/daniebanaanie
Summary: The bad ass androgynous girl Amber Liu with a sex, drugs and rock-'n-roll attitude whom everybody seemed to fear and admire at the same time, with the flash of a smug smile on her handsome face, and a sigaret or lolly pop in her mouth, depending on her mood. A leather jacket always hugging her shoulders, ripped jeans and a loose tank top that displayed just  a tiny bit of her sports bra when she lifted her tattoo-filled arms. Everyone was weak for Amber Liu. Krystal simply didn't see it. Until that one night she accidentally met her, and met a whole other person than the stories she had been made to believe.





	1. Prologue

**AMBER LIU**

Was she bad? That is the same as if asking whether or not Hitler was bad. She was bad, very bad.  
She did everything society warned her not to do. Drinking, smoking and adultery had been normalized from an early age on, and even drugs weren't excluded once in a while. She had cut her hair, had dyed it in the past few years in so many colours that she had lost count. Her wardrobe consisted of darkness only. She made the heads turn of everyone in the street, whether she minded the annoyed elderly, disgusted straight white couples, jealous boys or the admiring school girls who actually wanted to do the same but didn't have the guts for it, was never clear, because she had always the same smug smile on her face, like she had just defeated Donald Trump in the elections and had moved into the White House. She smiled and walked around as if she ruled the world, with her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket and a sigaret between her lips. Sometimes she'd strike with her hand through her hair, adjusted her piercings or took off her jacket so her sleeve of tattoos became visible on her very toned biceps, and you could hear girls all over the country faint.  
She had hrodes and hordes of guys and girls walking after her, some considered friends, others merely groupies. Fans, as so to say, but she didn't hav eany skill that she could show off besides smiling. She was quiet, but she had to be, because when she talked in that raspy, hoarse voice of hers, you'd be doomed to get turned on, no matter your gender.

As it goes with all the bad girls liek Amber, they always have a girlfriend hangng around them. Though, never someone prettier, never someone darker, never someone handsomer than them. In that case, they can do whatever they want, despite being in a relationship. When they would cheat on their girlfriends, people would chime "Logically, did you ever think a girl like her would ever fall in love with someone like you?" or "It was for the best that she cheated, you shouldn't love a destructive person like that."

Krystal knew all of this because even she — yes, the quiet straight-A-student which had been accepted into Harvard only a couple of months ago, coming from one of the elite families of America — had once been mesmerized by Amber Josephine Liu.

**KRYSTAL JUNG**

Was she good? It was the same as if asking whether or not Nelson Mandela was good. Everything about her screamed good.  
From the perfectly ironed white blouses she wore until her price she got for always being on time back when she was still a high school student. She was alwyas the first in her class when it came to grades, and occasionally the first in her year when she felt like it. Studying was something that was easy for her, something she had been doing her whole life. And with riends running around her whom were either more interested in her money or beauty than her personality, she was never alonet oo, although the fact that she was naturally a quiet person. She didn't mind them though, the larger her group was, the better she was protected. Another tip she had gotten from her miljonair of a daaddy; keep the people who will be succesful later in life close, those are the people that matter.  
With silky brown hair running over her shoulders and a pretty face, she was able to get everything done in combination with her intelligence.A soft face, pink lips, somewhat large forehead that no one actually seemed to mind except for her. Tall, with the curves in the right places where a normal man would swoon for, and quite a few girls too.  
Everything about her was white too, it vibrated perfection. Her blouses, skirts, heels, accessoiries, house, car, devices, cat. Everything was white. At night, she went back to her large apartment - paid for by her parents - and took her white shoes off in a white hall, then walked over a white floor to the white kitchen (with an except option that she had a black marble kitchen dresser) and ate her food off a white plate with her silver knife and fork. Everything was perfect. And when there was only a tiny spot of anything imperfect in her apartment, or in her life, it was cleaned up immediately, becaues she was the kind of girl that had a maid running around the house to serve her. She probably only drank alcohol on the fancy dinner parties she went to, went to the gym regularly, and lived healthily. A sigaret was filthy, something for people with no self control. Let alone drugs, don't get her started about that.

As it goes with all the good girls like Krystal, they always have a girlfriend hanging around them. Though, never someone prettier, never someone lovelier, never someone smarter than them. In that case, they can do whatever they want, despite being in a relationship. When they would cheat on their girlfriends, people would chime 'logically, did you ever think she was really in love with you?' or 'it was for the best that she cheated, you shouldn't love a person who only thinks about their grades.'

Amber knew all of this because even she — yes, the bad ass androgynous girl with a sex, drugs and rock-'n-roll attitude whom everybody seemed to fear and admire at the same time — had once been mesmerized by Krystal Jung.


	2. Chapter one

Krystal wasn't quite sure when she had seen Amber Josephine Liu for the first time. Perhaps she had heard stories of her earlier than she had actually noticed her. See, when you don't know a person is supposed to be something, you don't notice them when they walk past you in the hallway, so Krystal hadn't noticed Amber until the stories had come to her ears.  
The bad ass young androgynous woman that seemed to rule the campus, by only flicking people a flash of her smug smile. Always a leather jacket hugging her shoulders, ripped jeans, a loose tank-top that showed just a bit of her sport's bra when she lifted her arms and a sigaret or a lollypop in her mouth, depending on her mood. Together with five of her male friends, she was both the most feared and loved person on the University. Everyone knew Amber Josephine Liu. Everyone loved Amber Josephine Liu. Everyone wanted to date Amber Josephine Liu.  
To be honest, Krystal didn't get what the big deal was anyway. When the told her friends, they were taken back by her lack of interest in the hottest girl in school, that even straight girls and gay boys were weak for. Krystal just shrugged. She just didn't see it.

The longer she spend on Harvard, the more stories came to her ears. At first it was just the story of how Amber had saved (or ruined, depending on who you'd ask) prom of last year. How she had called for a rock band to appear and loosen up the stiff dancing couples. The professors had thrown her out of the building, but that also caused them to loose half of the students who were at the party. They all went over to some club in town do have an after party.  
But soon, it were more stories. About how she had sneaked into the professor's dormitories and had drawn silly stuff on their faces. There had still been leftovers on Mrs. Daniel's face, of the uni-brow and enormous piple on her nose. A few months later her car had been smudged with a spray can after she had graded Amber's essay with an D+. Or how she had replaced the salt in the kitchens for white paper, making everyone loos their taste buds. She had slept with two girls at the same time, who she had dumped afterwards, and you needn't to feel special when she came up to you on a party to kiss you, because she had practically kissed every pretty girl on campus. Once there had been a nude picture taken of her whilst she had sex with a girl. The only thing you saw was her bottocks, but Krystal would've freaked out only about that. Amber had shrugged just replied with 'But my butt looks amazing in that angle'.  
Let's not forget the famous foam party, that she had organized in the first few months of her attending the University. It was basically her first move and after that party everyone knew Amber Liu. Krystal hadn't gone to the party, because foam parties were litterally the worst kind of parties that existed, and she didn't want to lower herself between the slippy, naked bodies of the other students. Amber, on the other hand, seemed to have a great time, DJ'ing with one of her best buddies behind the DJ set.  
But what most people thought was her best joke was switching the water in the coffee machine for vodka, so that the students as well as the teachers got tipsy during the classes without barley noticing, because the strong taste of coffee had won it from the bitter taste of the vodka. It took them several days before they noticed that Amber had pulled another prank, but it was already too late. Videos and photos had already been made of the teachers who liked to drink at least 5 cups a coffee per day. Everyone knew Amber was behind this, but since there had been no evidence, she hadn't been caught.  
She couldn't be loved more. Krystal didn't like her at all.

And of course, Amber Josephine Liu had to be in most of her classes. To be honest, she had no idea how that girl managed to go to Harvard. She sure was smart, because she had proven that a couple of times, but she never ever got a good grade on her essays or other projects. She literally didn't study one bit, but managed to succeed on her exams with a B or higher. Her grades were near as good as Krystal's, and it annoyed her inexpressibly. On top of intelligence, Amber had this certain charm about her that Krystal didn't have. Sure she had a pretty face, well shaped body, but that was it. She didn't have the social skills Amber had, and that was probably the worst thing about the girl; that she seemed to be more succesful than Krystal without even lifting a finger.  
They shared quite a few of their classes together. Krystal studied economics, so that she was able to take over the company of her father's when she had gained enough experience. But she had had been able to have a few extra subjects, besides the ones that had been required for her study, so she had chosen performance and modern music, so she was able to relax a little bit. Music and acting were her favourite things to do, and she often went to the theatreclub to rehearse. Acting was something she could completely loose herself in, and it was an effective way to let all the stress go.  
Sadly, Amber had had the same idea. She originally was a music major, wanted to become a music producer when she was older, people said. She took modern music, classical music, performance, music & technology and composition. And to take her mind off all that, she took economics. So that meant they had at least three subjects in common, which was both half of their total scedule. Krystal Jung was stuck with Amber Liu in a room, together with her hordes of fangirls, and it was incredibly annoying. You could never work properly when she was around.

At a certain moment, she even started to develop a strong disliking for the girl. Her smug attitude, her confident strikes. It was for most people something to be jealous of, but Krystal couldn't wrap her head around it. She acted so tough, like nothing interested her. She was the kind of person that had bluffed her way through life, and still managed to get around. The class clown, the person everyone wanted to be. To Krystal, she was just a cheeky brat. Someone who didn't earn her thoughts and feelings. To set her irritations aside, she decided to to what was the easiest thing to do: to hate her. To not look at her, to ignore her or her existance and focus on her study only. She still wanted to be first in her year, and needlessly worrying about Amber Josephine Liu would do her no good.

Sadly, Amber didn't think so.  
It was only a matter of time before the short-haired street rat would notice her. It was bound to happen. Everyone knew Amber, but everyone knew Krystal too. The daughter of Jung Internationals, daughter of a miljonair who was making more and more money every day. A great pair of brains and a pretty face and worshippable body. Krystal Jung had everything they wanted and managed to do just fine.  
It wasn't her intention to stand out. In fact, she was rather introverted, and liked to be alone. She did all of her projects alone, barely went to parties. She tried hard to blend into the crowd, but because of her background, she seemed to constantly wear a flickering pink neon-sign above her head that said "THIS GIRL WANTS A LOT OF UNWANTED ATTENTION".  
Krystal didn't exactly know why Amber came up to her that first time. Maybe she had just been intrigued now that there was another person standing in the spot lights. Perhaps was she annoyed that Krystal provoked the interest of others too, and not just her. Like there was a second sun in the universe; the gossips weren't all about Amber Liu anymore.  
It was after their performance practise that she came up to her. They were practising Othello, a piece of Shakespear that was all about love, jealousy, revenge and ambition. It showed that even people of noble houses could go down when they would let themselves lead by these traits. It was a piece that was dear to Krystal, a reminded to always stay thankful of what she got and to not get cocky.  
They met backstage, when Krystal was taking off her earpiece. She sat in front of a large mirror, trying to frumble the thing off her head. Amber had walked up to her, and at first had just leaned against the wall, looking to her. Krystal had ignored her and stubbornly continued to get the earpiece off. She hoped that Amber would just go away if she ignored her. Sadly, the cock-sure girl had other plans, to Krystal's annoyance.   
"You were very good there, on stage," she said. Krystal didn't look at her and shrugged.   
"I learned my lines," she said coldly. Amber and Krystal had had to do a scene together, only Amber hadn't known any of her lines. Of course, this wasn't surprising to her, but she was still annoyed because of it.   
"Yeah well, a person can't help it, right?" Amber had laughed. Krystal had shot her a look.   
"I think they can," she had just said. Finally, she got her earpiece off. Quickly, so that she could end the conversation, she put it down, and stood up to walk away. She almost made it to the exit, when she felt Amber's fingers grip her polse. She sighed, and turned around.   
"I mean it, you have talent. We should practise some more together, you know."  
Krystal had snickered, and forcefully taken her hand back.   
"No thanks."  
The brunette turned around and walked off the backstage, leaving a confused Amber. She reckoned it was probably the first time since she had been turned down.

In the weeks after, Amber tried several times to start a conversation with Krystal. Once she had approached her in the library, asking if Krystal could help her with her economics homework. Krystal had explained the topic quickly, then added that her explanation was actually in vain because Amber didn't study nonetheless. The girl had laughed and shrugged, not even denying it. It was annoying. Five minutes later Krystal had packed her bags and had sat down somewhere else in the library.  
The second time was when they were choosing a new play. It turned out to be Romeo and Juliet. Of course, Amber had been chosen as Romeo, since she was more suited for the role than the all of the other males and was pushing the director to cast Krystal for Juliet. Their director had taken it in consideration, but Krystal had immediately gotten up to him to ask him not to put her in the leading role. Eventually Stacy had become Juliet, to Amber's disliking and Krystal's relief.  
Krystal wasn't really a party animal, and after Amber had come up to her at Sulli's birthday party, she exactly knew why. The troublemaker had stayed with her all night and had followed her around the party. Holding doors, passing her drinks, asking her for truth or dare and spin the bottle. Krystal had gone home after two hours, not being able to stand Amber Josephine Liu for another second. She watched wryly how Amber snogged other girls and boys at spin the bottle and had rolled her eyes, her stomach turning of distaste. Her friend hadn't been pleased when she had discovered Krystal had left but she couldn't stand to be around her any longer.  
Besides all of that, Amber seemed to just be highly interested in her. They often shared breaks together, with a whole bunch of other kids. When you were relaxing with a large group like that, you'd think that she'd be too occupied to think of Krystal. Oh how wrong she had been. Amber often glared at her from across the room. Krystal, often ignoring her, sometimes couldn't handle herself and shot a look back. At those times, Amber would wink and grin. The way she leaned against the wall with her arms crossed made the brunette roll her eyes. And the winking wasn't even the worst. When they had to get into the same classroom, Amber tended to hold the door for her. Or she accidentally bumped against her in the corridors and mutter cheesily: "Sorry, Princess." That nickname made her blood boil.  
Krystal couldn't understand why her friends always spoke of her full of admiration. How could you admire a person like that?  
Amber Liu was nothing more than an annoying rascal that had no respect for her university or other people with an wardrobe that consisted too much of black, ripped clothes.


	3. Chapter two

Krystal was getting more and more annoyed with the androgynous girl every time she appeared. At first, when she had entered Harvard, she still had some kind of sympathy for her, since she got away with almost every joke she had pulled. And come on, the vodka joke was indeed hilarious. She would've loved to see Mrs. Daniels drunk. But that was basically it. Krystal knew Amber wasn't a dumb person, otherwise she would've never been accepted onto Harvard, and otherwise she wouldn't have gotten away with all those pranks. That's where it stopped, basically. Besides that, she was just a cheeky, annoying, little punk that didn't care for the feelings of others. She didn't study and people said she neither had a job. She was all about the fun and was constantly bothering Krystal for unknown reason. Actually, Krystal hadn't asked her why yet, but she wasn't planning to, since she guessed that Amber just liked to bother her. Whenever she pulled her face or turned around, she could hear that smug chuckling behind her that just infuriated her. Krystal decided to ignore Amber Liu as much as possible.

At least, she tried to. But she hadn't expected Amber to attend the same party Krystal went to.  
It wasn't some kind of normal student's party, or a birthday party, which Krystal knew were more her style, but only the elite of America attended this party. It was more like a conference, with an after party slash dinner party afterwards. Only the most important business people had gotten an invitation and were allowed to come. Her father, of course, had been invited as the spokesperson of the event. He himself had invested a lot of money into this party, which morely served as an opportunity to get new deals for the company. Jung Internationals could use some new partners, and her father would go over lengths to get them.  
Because her father was one of the main investors, Krystal and her older sister Jessica were invited too. Jessica was already part of her father's company, albeit temporarily. Her sister wanted to persue a career as a singer. Since her father had Krystal, who was very much interested in taking over his position unlike her sister, he supported her decision. Jessica had accepted the job at Jung Internationals to save some money and secure financially herself whilst she was a trainee. And since Krystal was only just starting her study, it would do her father good to at least have Jessica near him.  
The sister's prepared together for the party. It would mostly be boring. They'd have to get through the speeches, and afterwards they had to stay close to father because he wanted them to learn how he made his deals. Krystal already knew; with utter flattery, a lot of compliments and smooth talking. But since Krystal wasn't a strong when it came to talking cheesily, she had to practise a bit too, and it would do her good to see her father in action.  
The sisters wore almost identical black dresses. Krystal had chosen a rather short black dress, that ended halfway her upper thighs and hugged her figure perfectly. With her dark brown hair flowing just over her shoulders, and her silver accesoiries, she looked amazing, if she said so herself. Her father had asked her not to wear heels, because she was already quite tall for a girl, but Krystal loved to be taller than those pathetic old perverts, and liked to intimidate them with not only her beauty and intelligence, but with her height too.  
Jessica, on the other hand, wore a dress that was a bit looser around the hips. With a single braid running falling over her left shoulder, she looked younger than she actually was. Because of Krystal's mature outfit, she looked older than the average eightteen year old. She didn't mind it though, because she reckoned that no one would take her seriously if she said that she had only turned eightteen a month ago.

The night was boring, incredibly dull. She had been to conferences a few times before, when she had still been in high school, but at least those were a lot more fun. One time, her father had taken her to a science conference because he was interested into financing some scientists who were working on new products that he'd be able to sell for a lot of money. Krystal had had the time of her life looking at all the different projects and the amazing stuff some people had invented.  
This conference was completely the opposite. The only bright point during the whole evening had been to see her father speak at the beginning, and the food they that had been served afterwards. When her father had asked if his daughters were enjoying themselves, they snickered.  
"It's boring," Krystal admitted.  
"This is exactly why I don't want to follow you into Jung Internationals, dad," Jessica had added, laughing. Their father had rolled his eyes and sighed.  
"The evening still has to start, girls. When the after party begins we can start our strategy," he said. That had provoked Krystal's interest, and it had stopped her from leaving half way the evening like Jessica had.  
Her father had been right about that after all. As soon as everyone had filled their bellies, music started to play by a live band. The tables were cleared away by the staff, which created a big dance floor. The bar was opened, and for those who were still hungry, there was a small delicacy buffet. Her father waited half an hour before he took Krystal to the first person he had laid his eyes on, one of his potential, still doubtful clients.  
Her father put up his brightest smile when he approached the young client, who seemed rather intimidated by the whole event. Logically, he looked like an old teenager wearing a tuxedo, who had only just tippy-toed into the big, frightening business world. She almost felt sorry for him. Krystal immitated her father, albeit a bit more drawn back.  
"Mr. Davidson, so glad to see you here!" her father chimed. Mr. Davidson looked up, smiled back. His hurried actions to whipe his mouth, put his drink down and stand up were clear signs that her father was quite intimidating, even when he smiled and talked so open-heartedly.  
"Ah, Mr. Jung. Of course am here, I got your invitation. How could I refuse," Mr. Davidson replied. Krystal chuckled softly. Davidson shot her a gaze, wondering if she understood the unmissable irony in his words. Of course he had had to come, otherwise he would never be able to get a deal with Jung Internationals. He simply didn't had a choice.  
"Have you met my beautiful daughter yet, Eric? My heiress, as so to say."  
Her father gave her a nod, and Krystal stepped foreward to shake Mr. Davidson's hand.  
"Krystal Jung. Nice to meet you, sir," she said. Mr. Davidson gave her a reassuring, almost pitiful smile. Perhaps he saw through her mature outfit, recognized how young she still was and felt sorry for her that her father had dragged her into a life of business, money and back stabbing already. Krystal stepped back, and lowered her gaze.  
Her father and Mr. Davidson sat down, and so did she. The two men started to babble and discuss about the party, until the conversation eventually took a turn to the part where her father would strike the deal. Over the course of the conversation, Davidson had gotten more and more nervous around the older CEO, and Krystal couldn't help to notice what a dirty game her father played. He chose Davidson's weakest spot — his sick son — and asked about that. Afterwards, he'd offer the deal, offering Davidson a large ammount of money so he could help his son. Out of desperateness — reminded of the awfulness that awaited for him at home — Davidson had accepted. Krystal had always thought of her father as a good man, and still did so. This was his work, and he was damn well good at it too. People like Mr. Davidson were accepted into the industry to get profited from. Larger fish simply ate smaller fish, that's how it worked.

For the rest of the evening, they replayed the scene with Davidson. They went by several other clients. There was a Mr. Richmond, a Mr. Childs, a Mrs. Karlsson, a Mr. Kennedy, a Mr. Kendrick and a Miss Campbell. Her father had four deals out of the six people he had visited. It had been a good evening.  
Eventually, when the evening started to run to it's end, her father seated down by his partner in crime, as so to say. He wasn't the only CEO who had invested a lot in this party, and hadn't been the only shark lurking around.  
"Jacob, so nice to see you again!" Her father howled, as soon as he saw the other man. The two gentlemen greeted each other like old friends. Just like Krystal's father, Jacob was a man of Asian heritage who had moved to America when he was still young.  
"Charlie, you look like you haven't aged for a day!" Jacob laughed. He hit Krystal's father friendly on the arm, laughing loudly. "I'm only joking, my old friend, we both know you look like shit."  
"Says the guy whose hair starts to grow grey already!" her father answered. Jacob ran with his hand through his hair, as if he only just noticed so.  
"So what? Nowadays it's funky to have gray hair, isn't that true, my dear?" he asked Krystal. She cleared her throat for a moment, not prepared that he'd ask her something, then muttered a soft 'yes'. Ah well, it was 'funky' for younger people to dye their hair grey, not so much for people like Jacob. Krystal's father laughed. He placed his arm around his daughter and pulled him closer.  
"Jacob, I want to introduce you to my daughter, Krystal. You remember her, right?"  
Jacob laughed, and took an excessive bow, where his nose almost touched his knees. He came up again, and took Krystal's hand. Carefully, he placed a kiss upon the back of her hand, then let it go again. When he looked back up to her, he grinned broadly. For a moment, Krystal seemed to recognize that wide, cheeky grin, but she couldn't remember whose reminded it her from. It was at the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't remember.  
"Nice to meet you Krystal. When I last saw you, you were only a sweet girl of five, now look at you! You matured well," he said. Krystal smiled shyly, and mumbled a 'thank you'. "I'm Jacob Liu, nice to meet you."  
Krystal's smile faded off her face immediately. Liu? She quickly ereased the thought out of her mind. There surely were more Liu's in America right? There was no way that that brat could be related to this fine gentleman.  
"Where is your daughter, by the way? You would bring her too right, Jake?"  
Jacob Liu scratched his chin and shrugged. He frowned.  
"Yes, I brought her, but you know how she is.. She is quite rebellious, and of course she doesn't want to stay with her old man to talk about business. She isn't interested in that at all," he explained. Krystal bit down on her lip and looked to the ground. There were more quite rebellious girls, right?  
"Don't you talk about it. My eldest has literally no interest in Jung Internationals, she'd rather become an idol. These kids nowadays.. Luckily I still have Krystal here," her father said. Both men looked at her, smiling proudly.  
"You're lucky to have a daughter like that. Good grades too, I suppose?"  
"The best of her year," her father bragged proudly. She could swear she saw his chest puff out of pride. Krystal laughed sheepishly and placed a strand of hair behind her ear. She knew she was good, but it was awkward when her father started to brag.  
"You should cherish her, Charles. Treat her on a good pair of jewels. I'll pay," Jacob said. Krystal confusedly looked up, widened her eyes, and frowned.  
"Oh no, sir, you really don't have to do that-"  
"But I want to. Please, seek out anything you like. Anything for the daughter of a good friend," Mr. Liu said. He winked. Krystal's cheeks turned a light shade of pink.  
"Thank you, sir," she muttered quietly. She was not able to say anything else; completely baffled. Even her father didn't give her jewels for no reason. Jacob Liu smiled reassuringly. Her father had placed his hand upon her shoulders and had given it a pinch.  
"Talking about daugthers, isn't that yours over there? At the bar," her father pointed out, suddenly. Mr. Liu turned around, and even Krystal looked up to see at whom the two men were looking at. She sought and sought, but she couldn't find anyone she knew. Jacob Liu beckoned his daughter. Krystal kept looking for a beautiful woman in an amazing dress, and she reckoned that was why she saw her so late. Only when the she stood next to her father, she noticed that her assumptions had been right from the first moment on.  
Amber Liu wrapped an arm around her father, Jacob, and both father and daughter grinned their cheeky grin as they turned their bodies to Krystal and her father. She felt like throwing up. At least, her face must've been very white. Hoping that Amber wouldn't recognize her, she lowered her gaze, not daring to look at her fellow student. Krystal bit down upon her lip.  
"Amber, nice to see you again!" her father laughed. He held out his hand to shake hers, but Amber gave him a box instead. A little surprised, he gave her a box back.  
"Sure thing, Mr. J!" she laughed. "You've been doing fine?"  
Only the sound of her voice was able to piss her off for sure. Krystal crossed her arms in front of her chest, stubbornly not looking at Amber, whom she had seen shooting looks over at her already a couple of times already. Oh, if she recognized her she'd be doomed... She'd never leave her alone then.  
"Of course, of course," her father chuckled. "Have you met my daughter yet? Kry-" No, no, no, dad, please, don't-!  
"Yes, Krystal Jung. I know her."  
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Fuck this, fuck me, fuck everything. Please, no.  
Krystal sighed, and ran with her hand through her hair. She lifted her head, and coldly looked over to Amber. The rascal was still grinning broadly. The two men didn't seem to notice that the air between them had changed. Krystal was normally quite drawn back, and people tended to say she had a resting bitch face when she had a neutral expression, but she usually made it a little worse on purpose when Amber was around. Did they really not notice that?  
"Hello, Amber," she said.  
"Oh, you should've said sooner! I didn't know that our daughters were hanging out together!" Mr. Liu cheered. Her father joined him, but Krystal shot him a look not to say anything anymore.  
"We aren't 'hanging out'," she said. "We just share a few classes."  
Amber shrugged, and laughed. She shot her a wink, the same one that her father had given her a few moments ago. Krystal suddenly felt very dirty. The wink wasn't satisfying at all. Her affection for Mr. Liu increased immediately, and she suddenly didn't feel bad anymore about choosing expensive jewelry on his costs. He'd be damn sure that she'd choose the most expesive one now, knowing that Amber was his daughter. She still couldn't wrap her head around it that such a kind of a man could produce such a hell of a daughter?  
"Now, I'm sure you two like to catch up. What if we go get a dance, Krystal, and leave these old men?" Amber said. The short-haired girl stack out her hand towards her. Krystal's head shot up, her eyes widened. Jacob Liu and her father immeidately started to complain that they weren't old, even though both of them had wrinkles all over their face and temples that had turned grey already.  
"Yes, what a good idea!" Her father said. Krystal shot him a warning look. Her father didn't show any signs that he had seen it, and even if he had, he probably agreed with Amber. Men liked to be with men, and they couldn't have clingy daughters around them all the time, especially now that he had shown her all evening how he got his deals. Krystal had learned enough, now it was time for her to leave. Amber was the perfect opportunity to have a private converstaion with his friend.  
Her father smiled at her. Krystal pinched in his hand, hopelessly trying to make him understand that she really didn't want to go, but he didn't react.  
"I think it's a good idea that you go with Amber, honey. Have fun for a while, you have deserved it. We'll leave in an hour."  
And with those words, he let Krystal's hand go, wrapped his arm around Jacob instead, and walked with his old best friend over to the bar, leaving the two girls alone. Amber hadn't take her hand back yet, that smug grin still showing on her face, and waited for Krystal to take it. She looked icily over to the other girl, and lifted her head cockily.  
"Let's go then," she mumbled. Krystal walked over to the dance floor. Amber walked after her.  
She would be dead before she'd take Amber's hand.


	4. Chapter three

Krystal wrapped her arms over each other when she reached the side of the dance floor, unsure what to do now. Her eyes followed the swirling couples of men and women, each in their own world, laughing, dancing and twirling on the beat. Krystal knew how to dance, she knew the basics. One to the right, one to the back, one to the left, one to the front, repeat, repeat, repeat. But she had only practised with her father, and not with someone else on the dance floor. Besides that, she guessed that Amber had no clue how to dance, and that her toes would probably be sore at the end of the dance.  
Krystal simply refused to set another step further. Amber came to stand next to her, her hands in the pocket of her trousers. For a moment, no one spoke. Of course, Amber had to ruin the silence by talking in that annoying hoarse, deep voice of hers. It wouldn't been attractive if it wasn't Amber Liu's voice.  
"Are you going to stand here the whole evening?"  
"If I have to, yes. Did you really think I was going to dance with you?" she replied. Amber just laughed. Krystal shot her a sideways glare of irritation. The rascal turned her head towards Krystal and smiled widely.  
"Yes," she said. Krystal blinked confusedly. She opened her mouth to say something back like "Hell no!" or "In your dreams!", but she was too baffled. Amber had taken her by her hand and tugged her onto the dancefloor. With a swiftness of an expert, she had placed one of her hands upon her waist, and held with her other hand Krystal's hand up. She already started to dance before Krystal was fully prepared, causing her to trip over her own feet. Krystal would've fallen backwards onto her ass if Amber hadn't caught her right before she'd hit the ground. Out of a reflex, Krystal had thrown her arms around Amber's neck. Their faces were close, she noticed, when her brain finally caught up on what had happened. She gulped. Amber grinned.  
"What, are you falling for me already?" the brat laughed. Krystal huffed and pulled up her nose.  
"Help me to stand up," she hissed. Amber laughed, and did as she was told. She stood back up again, although didn't take her hand off her hip. Instead, she started to dance. Krystal, still a bit dazed, had trouble following. Her cheeks burned of shame, knowing that she must look rediculous. On the other hand, Amber danced perfectly, not missing a single step, always on the beat. Eventually Krystal managed to correct herself, and get along with Amber's lead. It only annoyed her more that Amber did know how to dance, instead of failing excessively.  
When they had finally stabalized their pace, Krystal noticed how close she actually was to her. It was probably the closest she had ever gotten to Amber Josephine Liu. And unlike other girls, it didn't make her nervous at all. Instead, she felt this great pressure to do better than her, to outshine her in every single way. She couldn't help it to let her eyes run over Amber's outfit.  
Amber had traded her leather jacket, ripped jeans and army boots for something classy. A black tuxedo, which fit her figure perfectly, without it being too feminine; her shoulders were broad enough to fit the piece of clothing. A white blouse tucked into black pants, and a black tie knotted around her throat. Instead of letting her hair down, she had brought it up, which immediately made her more attractive, to Krystal's liking. She bit down on her lip when she caught herself thinking of Amber as attractive. Of cours she was not. Her brain was just playing tricks with her because she wore clothing that were more Krystal's style.  
She now noticed that Amber was actually smaller than she was, which gave her a boost in her ego again. They were of roughly the same height when she didn't wear heels, but now with ten centimeters extra in height, Krystal won easily. Still, Amber didn't seem to be bothered by looking up to her. It almost seemed like she was taller anyway, because Krystal still felt smaller. Probably because her ego was so big.  
The scent of her pierced through Krystal's nose. It had something woody, like she had spent the whole day in the forest without sweating. A sweet smell of wet earth, grass and trees, mixed with a sweet summer breeze. She didn't know whether this was her parfume or her own smell, but she found herself not disliking it.  
Her gaze rose from her toned neck until they found her lips, which were strangely very well formed. She caught herself looking at it for too long; she felt a tingle in her belly. Surprised because of the sudden mood switch — and the feeling of recognizement in those crazy fan girls — she shifted away, immediatebly back to her dark eyes. Krystal noticed that Amber had observed her this whole time, and now smiled when their gazes met again. She showed her a knowing smile, which Krystal answered with a frown of her eyebrows. Had she been caught? Impossible, it had only been a second or two. Plus, she wasn't at all attracted to Amber Josephine Liu.  
"Surprised to see me? Aah, you're not good at hiding your emotions princess. It hurts my feelings that you dont like to see me here," she laughed. Krystal shot her a sideways glare and stayed quiet. She tried very much to keep her face in a neutral expression, but it was hard when Amber was so close.  
"Don't you think this party is incredibly dull?"  
Krystal raised her eyebrows and shrugged. She looked away, not really feeling like answering. Instead, she focussed on the dancing. Now that she got the hang of it again, she didn't miss a single step too. She was used to being the follower, but now that Amber was the leader, she felt a great need to take over her place. But the cheeky brat was always one step ahead of her, causing their dance to get more intense with every step they took. Amber made her make a pirouette, and caught her afterwards.   
"Shall we get out of here? Leave those old men to their business and make some fun," she asked quietly, suddenly bringing her face way too close to Krystal's. Her eyes fluttered down to that big cheeky grin, and she pulled up her nose to show her disgust.   
"Is this an attempt to flirt with me?" she asked harshly. Amber bowed back a bit and laughed. She shrugged carelessly, barely taking Krystal's assumption seriously. "It is an attempt to get to know you, Krystal Jung. The girl who keeps avoiding me."  
"Why do you think I'm avoiding you?" Krystal bit to her. Amber raised her eyebrows questioningly, as if she really had to think about it.   
"I don't think I care why you do it. All I do know is that you judge me for the wrong reasons, Krystal. Why do you think I came all the way to this stupid ass party? To have fun? Please, I'd go to my friends if I wanted to have fun."  
Krystal blinked confusedly. For a moment, she could only stare. Her mouth dropped a little bit while her mind tried to catch up with everything that happened.   
"You knew I was coming?" she blurted out.   
"Of course. Our parents are friends, and I knew from the moment you first set a foot onto campus that you were CEO Jung's daughter," she said. "It's not really hard to figure that out, you know. You have his nose."  
Krystal was baffled, and couldn't help to touch the bridge of her nose for a moment.   
"Why did you came then?"   
Amber smiled.   
"Call it curiosity. I want to prove I'm not the kind of person you think I am."  
Krystal cleared her throat and rolled with her eyes. She made a face.   
"There is a reason why those rumours around you exist, you know? If you were truly a different person than everyone says you are, then those stories wouldn't go around the university," she said. "I don't think I'm interested in knowing who you really are."   
Amber raised her shoulders for a moment.   
"Ah, yeah. The stories are true. Every single one of them. I don't really regret creating them. Still, I want to prove myself. Call me mad," she said. "Here, I give you a deal. What if you go with me now, away from this hell of boringness, and let me prove myself. If you don't think differently of me after tonight, I will leave you alone. And if not, then today is the perfect start of a new friendship, don't you think?"  
Krystal frowned. Her mind was racing, and her heart was doubtful. She bit down on her lip and took her gaze off Amber's eyes. The street rat kept looking at her, with those deep, dark eyes that made her even more nervous. She swallowed audibly. Her hand clutched at the fabric of Amber's jacket.  
"What if I say yes... where will we go?" she asked, not daring to look at Amber. Somehow, her offer sounded very appealing. She had done her job at the conference, and since her father rather wanted to be around Jacob than her, there was no need for her to stay here anymore. But still, would it be wise to go with Amber? What if someone saw them? People admired her for not falling for Amber Josephine Liu's charmes. If they were seen, would she be just another girl who had gotten weak for that smile?  
Krystal shook her head to clear her thoughts. What did it matter what other people said? She, herself, knew that she defenitely wasn't attracted to Amber, and that she'd never be interested in her. She would never become a groupie. Other people would've fainted if Amber had showed so much interest in them; she had come all the way to the party for Krystal; but she just couldn't care less. Still, she was curious what Amber was going to do tho make her change her mind. She was pretty sure that this evening would make her reconsider her thoughts about the brat at all, but she liked to see Amber try. The reason why she even bothered was still unknown to Krystal.  
Amber shrugged.  
"I don't know. I'm not the kind of person to plan what to do, are you?"  
"I like to plan my days, yes," she admitted. Amber laughed and shook her head.  
"Well, Princess, shall we go then?" she asked. Krystal cocked her head.  
"I don't remember saying 'yes' yet."  
"Oh, I mistook your interest for wanting to come with me. Of course, I could also deliver you back to your dad and go by myself. Your choice," she said. Krystal frowned. A bit insulted, she lifted her chin.  
"No, let's go," she said. Krystal grabbed Amber's hand more firmly and dragged her behind her off the dancefloor. The girl hadn't expected her to be so progressive, and stumbled behind her. She heard her laugh, and decided not to turn around to shush her. Amber took her hand back, and lead her towards the garderobes, where they both got their coats. Besides Amber's coat, the lady handed her a bag with stuff too. Krystal raised her eyebrows.  
"What's in that?" she asked  
"Clothes," Amber replied. "I'm going to get changed into the toilets, wait a moment."  
She was gone before Krystal could reply. Amber raced into the men's bathroom a little down the hall, which made Krystal raise her eyebrows. She wondered why on earth she would not go into the female bathroom. Why would je unnecessarily embarass yourself in front of men when you don't have to?  
Krystal stayed put, waiting for the troublemaker to return. When she did, she sadly noticed that she had changed into her old clothes. A white T-Shirt underneath her usual worn-out fake leather jacket. Her jeans weren't ripped for once - how classy - but her dirty sneakers made up for that. Krystal rolled her eyes when Amber joined her again.  
"Don't you want to change into something more comfertable?" she asked. "I don't think your dress will be very comfertable."  
"Do you think I have brought other clothes with me?" she hissed. "And I'm not really fond at changing my clothes in the men bathroom."  
Amber looked at her for a moment, then started to chuckle.  
"It's much easier for me to do that. I don't expect you to understand. Just bear with me."  
"What do you think I'm trying to do?" she huffed. Amber just chuckled and shrugged. She seemed to be very little bothered by it that Krystal judged her for going into the man's bathroom. Krystal couldn't understandt his girl. Flirting, wanting to prove herself to Krystal. What had she ever done to her that provoked her interests? Ignoring her, perhaps.  
Amber Liu became weirder by the second.  
"Shall we go, Princess?"   
Krystal was dragged from her deep thoughts. She looked back to Amber, who had stuck out her hand towards her, asking Krystal to take it. The brunette looked at it for a moment, then lifted her head. Amber took her hand back and sighed.  
"So stubborn," she muttered. "C'mon, let's go then."  
Amber placed her hand back into her pocket and signaled towards entrance of the building. Krystal followed her to the doors.  
"Where are we going?" she asked. Amber looked over her shoulder and chuckled.  
"I told you, I don't have a plan. We'll see. That's why I told you it would be better to change out of those clothes."  
Krystal huffed and rolled her eyes again. She was getting more annoyed with this girl by the second. How was she expecting to make her change her mind about her if she didn't even have a certain plan to do that? It took at least a little bit preparing to impress her.  
"It's not as if we're going to climb a moutain... right?"  
Amber laughed.  
"Nah. But a dress is not fit for the street life."  
Amber opened the doors for Krystal, and the brunette stepped through them without giving Amber a look, out of the building into the cool night air. It had gotten a lot colder over night, and Krystal found that she was still shivering even though she wore her coat. In the late afternoon her thin summer coat had seen been enough, but now that the chilly night's breeze had set in, she had to wrap her arms around her waist to keep herself warm.  
"Want my jacket?"   
Krystal looked up to Amber, who held out the jacket of her suit to her. For a moment, she doubted whether to take it, but then she shook her head.  
"No," she said. "Let's just get going. I'll get warm from walking."  
She didn't want to take anything from Amber Liu. Sooner or later she'd be in debt to her and that meant she would never leave her alone.  
The short-haired girl looked at her for a moment, then shrugged and put her jacket back into her backpack.  
"As you wish."  
They walked further, farther and farther away from the conference building. Farther from her father. An uncomfertable silence set between the two girls.  
The streets were empty, but that wasn't surprising. It was almost midnight, and a Tuesday. No living soul was out and about at midnight on a Tuesday, not even the die-hard partiers. Everyone was safely in their warm homes, and Krystal was here, outside in the cold with a punk that only meant trouble.  
The streetlights were dimmed, some had even broken, causing the street to be mostly lit by the moon. It was a creepy sight, because it made every alley look like some rapist could emerge from it and abuse her. She wondered what Amber would do if that happened. Would she protect her or run? Perhaps join the- No, she wouldn't do that. Amber Josephine Liu might be a street rat, she would defenitely not abuse her like that  
Krystal couldn't help to think about it. She started to shiver even worse. Her feet started to achr because of her heels, and she regretted going with Amber. The girl didn't even have a clue where to go, and she blindly followed her. How crazy was that. Krystal should've known better and stayed with her father.

Slowly but surely, they left the centrum of the city, and entered the somewhat poorer districts in the outskirts. They were close to the University, who was about half an hour away. Krystal knew these streets only because her driver always drove through them when he brought her to the head building of their University. Amber seemed to know them by heart, because she didn't turn a wrong turn once. She knew whether to take the right or the left turn, or just to keep walking.  
Krystal couldn't help to peek at her from out of the corner of her eyes. Even in the middle of the night, in the cold, on a lonely street with a girl that didn't even like her, she still smiled. How she was able to do that, was a mystery to Krystal. She felt more like crying than laughing at the moment.  
"You know, if you have something to ask me, you can also just speak up instead of glaring at me so secretly."  
Krystal immediately turned her head, and gazed straight foreward again. She pressed her lips upon each other until they formed a single dark pink line upon her pale face.  
"I don't have anything to ask you."  
"Then stop staring."  
"I wasn't staring," Krystal muttered. Amber chuckled in return.  
"Sure."  
"You know, I'm not going to discuss about this anymore, it's chidlish," she grumbled. Amber simply chuckled and shrugged, which annoyed Krystal even more.

The conversation fell silent again, something the brunette preferred. Everything that came out of Amber Liu's mouth seemed to annoy her, and if she was still to put up with her for the whole evening, she'd have to control herself and her irritations. It wasn't completely Amber's fault, but that girl had some natural repulsion about her. Perhaps it was attraction, because a lot of people seemed to be attracted to that repulsion, but Krystal didn't see it. Yet.


	5. Chapter four

They walked and walked, until finally, Amber let out a gasp.  
"Oh, I know somewhere we could go. Are you hungry?" she asked. When the rascal turned towards her, her eyes were glinstering of excitement. Krystal, who hadn't expected this sudden enthusiasm, was taken aback by the shorter girl, and could only mutter a soft "Kinda..." Her father had warned her not to eat too much at the dinner of the conference, otherwise her face might get bloated over the course of the evening. She had only eaten the small amount of vegetables that had served with the steak.  
Amber grinned when she agreed.  
"Great, there is a 24 hours convenience store right around the corner!"   
Before Krystal could object, Amber had already grabbed her hand, and dragged her around the end of the street, around the corner. They were met with the flashy white fluorscent light store at the end of the street. Even from here she could see that it was a small shop, in the midst of a block of houses. A weird spot to place a store, but it seemed not to be bothered about the decayed neighbourhood. It clearly wasn't short on money. A lot of convenience stores Krystal has been were either neglected, or the tiles had broken, or the windows were recently smashed, or the neon signs didn't work anymore. But this store looked rather new, or was just really well conserved.  
Krystal had been too surprised to let Amber's hand go, and let herself be dragged to the store. It was hard to keep up with Amber's pace in her heels, but because of the experience she had gotten in all those years of wearing them, she was able to keep herself straight and not trip over her own feet.  
They only slowed down when they were right in front of the doors.  
"You-you dragged me all the way to this cra-crappy neighbourhood for a conve-convenience store?" Krystal panted. She had placed her hand on her side and pressed, hoping to press away the aching pains that were spreading through her body. Amber seemed not to be bothered by the running at all; she wasn't even gasping for air like she was. Krystal shot her a jealous look. She really should work out more.  
Amber looked back up to her, with both of her eyebrows risen. It gave her something of a lost puppy that was actually.. quite cute. Krystal immediately shook the thought off her.  
"'Crappy neighbourhood'?" she said in disbelief. "I live here!"  
Krystal couldn't help but to frown and stare at her in the same level of disbelief.  
"B-but, your father-" she muttered.  
Amber rolled her eyes.  
"He doesn't pay for my apartment, like your daddy does. He says I need to earn money myself, because he started off that way too and he doesn't want to help me out. If I become homeless, he said, I'll be homeless because I messed up big time. Since I'm only a student, I can't afford a big place to stay."  
Krystal's cheeks coloured deeply red. With her lower lip tucked between her teeth, she looked away from Amber, suddenly very guilty about what she had said. Her father tought her how to stay humble, and respect the people who had been less lucky in life than he had, and therefor less money. They should be respected more than any other business man she'd ever meet, because they form the base of our society. Krystal felt ashamed that she had made that comment towards Amber, who seemed to understand what her father meant way better than she ever had.  
"I'm sorry..." she mumbled. Amber started to laugh, which caused her to jerk her head up.  
"I didn't know the stone-hard Krystal Jung even knew how to apologize!" she chuckled. Krystal's guilt turned back into annoyance, and she had the urge to slap the older girl against her arm.  
"Don't worry about it, Princess. I know I could live luxurously if I wanted to, I just choose not too," Amber laughed. She hooked her arm through Krystal's and took her further towards the entrance of the convenience store.  
"Don't call me that..." she muttered, but Amber didn't seem to have heard her. And otherwise, the guessed the troublemaker wouldn't take her seriously anyway.  
Amber opened the door of the store. A bell started to rinkle, to let the employees know that new clients had arrived. Krystal had to blink a couple of times to let her eyes get used to the bright light, which was way different than the dimmed lights in the streets. A wave of warmth flooded over her, and she couldn't help to let out a small sigh. The convenience store seemed to be abandoned besides them.  
"Yo, Henry!" Amber yelled suddenly. She immediately dropped Krystal's arm, to run over to the counter. Behind it, stood a young man, perhaps a little older than they were. A playful grin appeared on the guy's face, causing his thick lips and accented jaw to be a bit less visible. His eyes started to sparkle in the same way Amber's had done when he saw the girl. He jumped over the counter and the two friends ran to each other as if they hadn't seen each other for years. Amber jumped in Henry's arms, and Henry twirled around for a moment, before letting her go again so suddenly that she fell on the ground. He shrugged apologetically, whilst Amber rubbed her butt. He had the same cheeky grin lik her, that made Krystal wonder whether they were family or not. Then she shook her head; their faces were nothing alike.  
Henry helped her to get up again and the two gave each other another hug. Krystal still stood in the entrance, her arms wrapped around her waist to warm up her body. A bit awkwardly, she moved her gaze to the ground, causing her not to notice that Henry had shifted his attention from Amber to her.  
"And who's the beauty you brought to me? Really Amber, the number of girls you bring to my shop is-"  
His voice got muffled because Amber pressed her hand to his mouth and shot him a filthy look. Henry swatted her hand away and laughed.  
"Come on. It really doesn't matter what I say. They're lining up to sleep with you, even when they know that they're gonna get dumped the next day. But I gotta admit, you sure brought a classy one this time. She even wears a dress and all," he said, whilst nodding with his head in Krystal's direction. Amber tried to make him shut up, but Henry, having spent years and years with her as her wingman, knew all the small little tricks. He jumped aside when she wanted to kick him against the knees to make him shut up.  
Krystal, still not looking into the two troublemakers' direction, wasn't deaf, and had heard the whole conversation. She lifted her head and shot Henry a cold look.  
"As much as Amber would like to sleep with me, we're not going to," she hissed. Henry and Amber both turned around, a little bit embarassed that Krystal had heard. She rolled her eyes. It wasn't exactly like they had spoken softly or something. Amber pointed at Krystal with her index finger.  
"That's exactly what we're going to do, Hen. NOT sleep with each other," she said. Henry's eyebrows shot up and he placed his hands in his sides.  
"Why the hell are you here then?" he asked. Amber and Krystal exchanged a look and stayed silent. Henry sighed and rain with his hand through his hair, then over his face.  
"Ah, you know what. It's none of my business anyway. Text me how it ended, because this sounds like a sappy story. You know your way around to the ramen."  
Henry decided to turn back to his comfertable lounging spot behind the counter and let the two girls alone. Amber let out a sigh, then turned back to Krystal with a nervous smile.  
"That's Henry. He's quite... well, he's my best friend."  
"I noticed so."  
Amber shrugged. "I know. But let's get some food now, I'm starving."  
"You just had dinner.." Krystal mumbled. The punk laughed.  
"Well, you too. And I don't see you complaining now, do you?"  
Krystal huffed.  
Amber didn't try to take her hand or her arm anymore; something Krystal was very thankful of. It had been uncomfertable to hold her hand, almost as if she was betraying her own hatred for the girl. You couldn't hate a person and like to hold their hand. It just didn't work like that.  
Together they strolled through the isles. Krystal felt more for something healthy, like a small bottle of water and some fruit, but Amber had other thoughts. Since she didn't have money with her, she felt like she couldn't complain when the girl loaded her arms with junkfood, but she couldn't help to tighten her jaw. Four packets of ramen, a large bottle of Coca Cola, cookies and as dessert some ice cream. The punk clearly had an appetite for fatty foods, or at least craved a lot of those now. At the thought of all those calories, Krystal's heart almost stopped beating. She didn't know how Amber could still be so thin whilst eating all of these bad products. She must work out a lot... The image of Amber training her biceps and abs came to her mind. She tried to shake it off as quickly as possible, but she had some trouble doing so.  
"I think we have everything.." Amber muttered, whilst looking at her arms. "Do you still want something? My treat."  
"No, thanks," she said. She'd have a hard time devouring all of this as it was, and she didn't want to be endepted by Amber, although money was the simplest kind of debt. She had plenty of that.  
Amber shot her a grin.  
"Okay, let's get going then."  
They arrived at the counter, and let Henry scan everything. Amber paid with her credit card and managed to get their groceries in her already full backpack. With some diffeculty, she put it around her back again. They said goodbye to Henry, and left the store again.  
"So.. where, to go now?" Krystal asked. Amber palced her hands back in the pockets of her jacket and looked from the left to the right, as if she was expecting a big sign that said 'You should head this way!'. She shrugged.  
"Wanna do something bad ass?" asked Amber. Krystal's eyebrows shot up before she could help herself.  
"Like what?"  
"Well, I know a very nice place where we can eat all this stuff-" she patted on her backpack,"-buuuuut it's not appreciated by the police if we do that. Although, I never got caught, so I can guarantee that it's basically one hundred percent safe."  
Krystal frowned and Amber looked at her with those deep dark eyes that were just so hard to ignore. The same glinster was there and Krystal now recognized it as the little spark in the troublemaker's body whenever she did something slightly adventurous. Something that made her blood rush, and make her feel alive. Krystal was intrigued by this little sparkle. It was something she hadn't noticed before, except for this evening. She had already known that Amber lead herself by pure emotions only, did whatever she felt like at that specific moment. Now, Krystal felt it too.  
Tonight being the first night without a curriculum, or a planned evening, she felt the need to let herself go too. She wanted to feel what Amber felt, and even more. In a rush of emotions, she nodded her head. Perhaps, on another night, when she had her thoughts collected and her feelings controlled, she would've told her no. But today was so new and unexpected, that she had trouble thinking things through. She wanted to be irresponsible, just for tonight.  
"Let's do it."  
A grin appeared on Amber's face.  
"Great!" the older girl beamed. "Let's get going then. It's almost one o'clock already."   
Krystal nodded. The two girls started to walk to the place Amber had in mind, a place she hoped wasn't far away. Now that they had stepped out of the warmth of the convenience store, her shivers returned, and there were goosebumps on her forearms and legs that wouldn't just dissappear. The cold seemed to creep in her bones, and she wished she had brought warmer clothing. How could she know that after the party she would rummage through the streets with the girl she hated most?  
They walked a while, perhaps half an hour. The neighbourhood became more known to Krystal with every passing step. Since she drove through these streets to the university every day, she recognized all kinds of small things she normally wouldn't have given a second thought if it had just been any other day. A restaurant called "Granny's" at the corner of the street, which had closed. That one house which had a garden full of roses. The building besides the rose-garden-house, always had a dog in the garden. It was peacefully asleep behind the windows now, Krystal noticed. The street, often busy and filled with people, was empty now. The mother of five whom needed to bring her kids to school every morning around the same time Krystal was going to the university was probably peacefully sitting on her couch now, the five sweetlings sleeping soundless in their beds. The old man who sold apples had cleared his stall. Even the group of teenagers, hanging around Granny's, weren't there. It gave her a lonely feeling. Logically, they weren't there, it was 1 AM. Still, it made her shiver even more.  
The longer they walked, the clearer it became that they were actually heading to the university, or some spot very close to it, but she doubted that.  
"You know, going to the uni isn't very special. I spend five days a week there," Krystal eventually said, when she could see the group of buildings doom up from the dark.  
"I agree that it isn't very special if you only hang out in the cantine," Amber laughed. "I bet you haven't been to this place before, though."  
Krystal rolled her eyes. "I doubt so."  
Amber shot her a look and chuckled. She shook her head slowly, and ran with her hand through her hair.  
"You're so stubborn. Always wanting to be right."  
"You don't have the right to speak about being stubborn," Krystal huffed. That made her chuckle again.

They headed further towards the university. Since the campus was linked with the college buildings, the gate to the compound was always open, so the students could go in and out whenever they pleased so. Amber and Krystal had therefor no diffeculty getting in. They entered the terrain. Just like the neigbourhoods they had just crossed, the compound was abandoned. The lights in the college buildings were off, besides a few that were still burning in the campus buildings. The shadows of the things — the Starbucks shop at the corner, the benches, the litter baskets, the statue of the founder of their university — that were so familiar to them made it even creepier.  
"Where are we going?" asked Krystal.  
"Stubborn and nosy? Not very good traits to have, Princess," replied Amber. The brunette grumbled and rolled her eyes. It was obvious the brat didn't want to tell her where she was taking her. It annoyed her that she didn't know, because she couldn't prepare herself. She couldn't control the situation like she usually would do, and that made sure that an uneasy feeling crept up on her. Add that to the creepy shadows and darkness that the campus casted, made up to a perfect feeling of unsafeness.  
They walked in silence until they reached the head building, where most of the colleges were given. Amber walked up the steps, up to the large doors that formed the entrance. Krystal followed her, although she wondered what the purpose was of all of this. The doors were locked anyway.  
Amber sank down on one knee, and took her backpack from her back.  
"The doors are locked," Krystal felt obliged to say, even though it was crystal clear. Amber looked over her shoulder and grinned cheekily.  
"There are no doors closed for me," she said, with a wink, that made Krystal's cheeks flush in annoyance. Amber opened her bag and dug with her arms all the way to the botton of it. For a few moments she was searching. A frown had appeared on her face out of concentration. The diffeculty suddenly dissapeared out of her face, and the grin came back. She took her arm back from the bag, her hand clutching two pieces of metal. Amber opened her hand, to show it to her. The two pieces of metal. They were barely longer than ten centimeters, each bended at the edge.  
"Watch and learn, Princess. They don't teach this during theatre class," Amber said. She stack both of the pieces of metal in the lock, and started to twist and turn them in such a way that, five minutes later, Krystal heard the lock click open. Impressed, she looked at Amber, who stood back up again, brushed the dust off her knees and opened the door for her. Like a real gentleman she stood there, with a big grin upon her face and her hand outstretched to Krystal, to help her get through. The brunette, still amazed, couldn't help herself and took Amber's hand.  
"Won't an alarm go off?"  
Amber shook her head.  
"Nah. I've been here a few times before, they don't seem to be bothered much by an alarm, because a lot of students and professors stay until very late."  
Krystal stepped into the dark hall, that was otherwise so known to her. It was hard to distinguish the features of the room that were, during daylight, not worth paying attention too. Being in a building at night, without any light, made it a lot more intense.  
She realized she still held Amber's hand when the glass door behind them closed. Krystal looked down to their intertwined fingers, suddenly feeling how soft her skin was. For someone who lived mostly on the street, her hands were really delicate. She gulped, and immediately took her hand back. Amber seemed not to be bothered by that or didn't even notice it, and that annoyed her a little. Why did she always have to annoy her?  
"What about we first warm up those ramen?" suggested Amber. "I bet they have enough equipment for that in the cantine."  
Amber smiled to Krystal, and she caught herself smiling back and nodding. The punk turned around, and started to walk the known way to the cantine. Krystal walked after her, a few meters between them. The cold had left her body, although it wasn't extremely warm in the building too.

They found the cantine, and Amber jumped over the counter. Krystal wanted to walk around it to join her behind the counter — and prevent her from making a huge mess from the university's small kitchen — to cook up the ramen, but Amber stopped her.  
"You stay right there, Miss," she said, whilst pointing at the brunette. "I'm a master chef when it comes to ramen."  
Krystal stayed at the counter, leaning down upon her arms to support herself. She watched how the rascal let her backpack slide from her back, open it and took out the packages of ramen. With a few quick movements of her hands that showed she was known with cooking up ramen, she opened the packages, and put a pan with water on the stove. Again, dugging into her packpack, only to get out some lucifers. With a grin, she held them up to Krystal.  
"Always comes in handy, you know," she said. Amber lighted one, and held it near the stove, so that the gas would catch flame, and a small flare appeared underneath the pan. She turned it up high, so it only took a few minutes before the water started to boil and she could slip in the ramen. Whilst the ramen cooked, Amber sought for bowls, and forks. Eventually, she held them up triumphantically.  
When the ramen was done, Amber poured it into the two bowls and added the spices. Because both each contained two packages of ramen, the bowls were overflowing with the delicious Asian snack. Amber handed one bowl, with a plastic fork, to Krystal, grinning broadly.  
"I'll assure you, that you'll never want to eat other ramen again!" she said proudly. Krystal let out a snort, stirring with her fork in the damping food.  
"You only put it in hot cooking water and sprinkled the spices over it. I'm pretty sure everyone can make it the same," she said. Amber pulled an indignant face and huffed.  
"You are terribly mistaken! Only I, Amber Josephine Liu, am the best ramen cooker on this campus. And you'll admit that once you will take a bite," she said. Krystal chuckled softly, and rolled her eyes.  
"Yeah, sure," she said. "By the way, where is that amazing spot of yours you wanted to take me to, because I'm pretty sure it's not the cantine. And otherwise it's not that impressive."  
Amber nodded, then shot her that adventurous loving kind of look, took her backpack and jumped back over the counter, with her bowl still in her hand. It was a wonder that it didn't spill anywhere, but even with that the brat seemed to have experience.  
"Come on, follow me," she said. Krystal didn't oblige, and walked after her, up to the stairs that lead to the higher levels of the building.

Eventually they ended up in the highest level of the building. Krystal often had her business administration classes here, and she hated getting up all those stairs every time. She refused to go by elevator, because that was just lazy. It still tired her out though, all those stairs. It showed again how bad her stamina was. Even now, she was panting slightly. Amber seemed to be okay, and even have energyleft.  
As soon as they reached the upper floor, Amber turned to the right, which was unusual, because Krystal usually went left to the college room of business administration. Nevertheless, she followed Amber, because her steps seemed to be so sure. She was bursting of confidence, and that was just hard to ignore, let alone to question. So Krystal walked after her into a lonely corridor. They soon were stopped by a door that said 'employees only'. Amber felt the doorknob for a moment, but the door wouldn't budge, so she took out her lock openening kit again, and opened the door without much diffeculty.  
Krystal doubted for a moment whether to enter, but when Amber shot her a daring look over her shoulder, the brunette followed her anyway. The door closed behind them, clicking back on its lock. A light flickered on when it sensed movement, and lightened the hall, one that lead to more stairs. Krystal already started to sigh. Amber chuckled softly, but didn't respond. They climbed the stairs together, Amber first, then Krystal. It didn't take long for her to start panting again. This time, Amber seemed to have a little diffeculty too.  
"How-how much mo-hore?" sighed Krystal. Amber looked over her shoulder.  
"Two more stairs. We're almost there."  
The brunette moaned and climbed on.  
Eventually, they indeed reached the top level. It had taken them some time to climb all the stairs, but eventually they were able to say that they had made up. When they were at the top, they immediately encountered another door. Since this one didn't have a lock, Amber didn't have to pick it before it could be opened. The brat held it open for her, so Krystal could walk through it. Immediately, she was met with the cold night's breeze that blowed directly into her face. Her goosebumps appeared at the moment she stepped out onto the windy roof. The door behind them clicked shut when Amber had gotten besides her. Krystal wrapped her arm around her waist, hoping to stay a little warm. The exhausting climb up all those stairs had warmed her up, and the damping bowl of ramen had burned her hands, but getting back outside was therefor much colder. She clenched her jaws together, to keep her teeth from chattering.  
Amber placed her hand upon Krystal's, slowly taking it away from her side. Her hand was warm against her cold skin, and Krystal once more noticed how soft her hands were. Her breath got caught in her throat for a moment. But she got hold of herself soon after, and forced herself to breath.  
Amber took her to the edge of the building. The brunette wasn't exactly afraid of heights, but she tended to stay away from edges with a drop of more than 3 metres, but because the troublemaker had no trouble getting so close, she didn't want to back away. The tips of their shoes — Amber's sneakers and Krystal's heels — touched the edge.  
"This is my favourite spot, I thought you'd like it," said Amber. And Krystal understood why.  
They had a view over the whole city. From the high building of their university they were able to see everything in a twenty kilometer radius. They looked over the poor neighbourhoods where they had walked through over the course of the night. It was mostly dark there, but the closer it got to the centre of the city, the brighter it got. The small, low houses changed into villa's, then into larger apartment buildings. Eventually the big office complexes stood out the most, hovering over everything, ruling the grounds of Sacramento, casting light like a big lighthouse, drawing the people to the centre of the city. It was a beautiful sight. In the distance, you could even see the hills and the forests, as if the nature wanted to exclaim that not only the city lights were beautiful. Krystal's breath was taken away.  
They stood there, looking in silence over the slumbering city, until Krystal snorted.  
"Do you take every girl up here that you mean to shag?" she said sarcastically. She noticed how the short-haired girl turned her head towards her from the corners of her eyes. Krystal kept her eyes upon the city. They still held hands.  
"No. Only you."


	6. Chapter five

Krystal's mouth grew dry. She was painfully aware how Amber tightened her grip on her hand, and looked back towards the city. At the moment when the silence became too uncomfertable, and Krystal's mind started to wander where it shouldn't wander, Amber spoke up.  
"So, do you dare to sit on the edge? I think it's best to eat the ramen now, otherwise it'll get too cold," she said. Krystal had to blink a few times, and get her concentration back. It took her a few moments before she was able to process what Amber was saying, but then she nodded. At least, if Amber could sit at the edge, so could she.  
Amber let go of her hand, and Krystal found herself wishing she hadn't. But she didn't complain. Oh no, Krystal Jung didn't give in to weakness. She sat down next to her, taking the bowl of their already cooled down ramen in her hands. Amber clinked the bowls together, smiling broadly to her. Krystal noticed that her eyes sparkled again. Was it because they sat at the edge of the building, with a drop of more than thirty meters below them? It wasn't that adventurous, right? Then what made her eyes sparkle like that?  
"Cheers," the troublemaker laughed. Krystal smiled back and nodded. Amber started to shove huge bites of ramen into her mouth, not caring whether it was falling out because it wouldn't fit anymore. Krystal took small bites, like her father taught her to. Especially with ramen, you tend to eat very sloppily because it was so hard to get everything into your mouth. After a while, and watching Amber eat her ramen quickly and sloppily, Krystal decided that it wouldn't matter whether she eat neatly right now. She was with Amber Josephine Liu, for God's sake, not some fancy business party where you were immediately socially punished if you didn't know the etiquettes. Amber didn't seem to know them at all, and seemed to enjoy her food much more that way. Krystal copied her, and started to shove the food into her mouth. Her stomach, which had been growling all night, finally became satisfied.  
Together they munched on the food. The only sound piercing through the silence was their jaws moving over the asian snack, swallowing it afterwards.  
Amber put her empty bowl down when Krystal was only half way through. With a sigh, she stretched her body, and whiped the leftovers from her lips. Krystal went back to small, moderate bites when Amber turned her head towards her. The brunette pretended not to notice, but she felt the dark, deep eyes of the girl pierce through her skin.  
Amber didn't say anything, eventually turning her gaze back to the city, until Krystal also placed her empty bowl on the edge, whilst letting out a small sigh. It had been a while since she had been so full, and it felt really good. The ramen warmed her body a little, and it made the cold, windy roof less unpleasant.   
"It's a bit cold here, shall we sit somewhere warmer?" Amber asked. Krystal looked up to her and nodded. With the agility of a monkey, it seemed, Amber got up from the edge and stood up. She offered Krystal her hand, to help her stand up. The brunette took it, and let Amber help her.  
Amber walked over to the other side of the roof, there where the ventilation system ended. It was a small, square block, with one side that was an opening for the ventilation system inside the building. Amber sat down against the back of the block, and pulled up collar of her jacket. With her body facing the other way, Amber prevented the wind from blowing in her face, causing her to be a lot warmer than back at the edge.  
Krystal sat down next to her and buttoned the last button of her coat up, so that her neck was protected too. Amber opened her backpack, and took out all of the leftover food they had bought. She opened the big 2 litres bottle of Coca Cola and started to drink huge sips, straight out of the bottle. When she was done, she offered the it to Krystal. She doubted for a moment, then took it from her and took a few sips too. Since she had never been good with carbonated drinks, she put it away rather soon. In the mean while, Amber had opened the bags of chips and cookies. She had taken a handful of chips and was now eating them by two. Krystal took a chocolate chip cookie, mostly because she otherwise would feel guilty for not eating.  
From here the view over the city was less beautiful than from the edge where they had eaten their ramen, but Krystal couldn't complain. She was still able to let her gaze wander over the thousands of little lights in the distance. It still warmed her heart to look like this.  
"Did you already change your mind about me?"  
Krystal had been too transfixed on the city to notice Amber had turned her head towards her. Her voice pulled her out of her trance, and she forced herself to concentrate on the girl next to her. When she also turned her head, she noticed how close they were, almost as close as they had been during the dance earlier this evening. She found herself minding it less than it once had.  
She pulled a face, then shrugged.  
"Maybe..." she said. Krystal wouldn't admit that her previous disliking for the brat had decreased drastically. In fact, she didn't mind at all being on this roof with Amber Josephine Liu, whilst the thought alone would've already annoyed her a few days ago.  
Amber only chuckled. They both turned their head towards the city again.

But as soon as the silence fell Krystal started to wonder. Her mind went back to the moment she had asked whether Amber took all of the girls she meant to have sex with to this rooftop and she had answered that she had been the only person who had come here. It didn't make sense. Either Amber was lying, or Krystal was worth much more to her than she knew. It was the most logical that Amber was simply lying to her. That she brought up all the cute girls she was interested in - when they weren't already swooning at her feet - and showed them this beautiful sight. She showed that she could not only be badass and amazingly attractive, but also deep and caring. Krystal had to watch out that she wouldn't start crying all out of a sudden.  
But the second option kept repeating in her head. Part of her wanted it to be true. That she was entangled in a star-crossed love story where she was the oblivious girl that didn't notice the other lead's feelings. That the other person had been in love for her for years already and that she was just too dumb to notice. That Amber in fact did all those stupid things to make Krystal notice her, whether it was for the good or the bad... Why else would she come all the way to the conference party, whilst her father had told that she normally didn't come along. Amber had tried so hard to make Krystal like her over the course of the evening, all on her own special kind of way. Why would she even care about whether or not Krystal liked her? A girl like Amber Liu didn't care for anything.  
Krystal tried to push these thoughts out of her head, but it was hard not to play with them. For a moment, the image of Amber kissing her went through her mind, and Krystal got startled of her own thoughts. She bit her lip softly, and from that moment tried to keep herself under control. She probably was lying anyway. And if she wasn't, then she probably hadn't taken her here because they were the new Romeo and Juliet.  
She was shivering, and she hadn't noticed so until Amber had wrapped her arm around her shoulders. Krystal shockedly looked up to her, at first wanting to swat her hands away. Amber wouldn't budge.  
"You look like you just jumped in ice water, your lips are all blue. Let me warm you up," she said. The brunette frowned her eyebrows and opened her mouth to say something. The brat looked back at her with a look that said I-won't-let-you-go-no-matter-how-much-you-protest, so Krystal just let her arm rest on her shoulders. A small sigh left her mouth when she indeed felt warmer after a few minutes. She almost wanted to let her head rest upon Amber's shoulder, but thought otherwise just in time.  
"Amber..." she said quietly. It was strange to speak out her name. She had never spoken out her name so sincerely and had often referred to her as 'that asshole' or 'that rascal'.  
The other girl looked up.  
"Are you.. are you going to follow your father in his footsteps?"  
Amber made a sound; a mix between a huff and a chuckle at the same time. She ran with her hand through her hair, taking her time before she answered Krystal.  
"Why are you asking about my father? What, are you hoping I'll end up CEO of his company, so that we can see each other even after we have graduated?" she laughed. The brunette poked her in her side, shooting her a grimanced look. Amber laughed, and rubbed over the sore spot.  
"Nah. I'll never be rich. Unless my father unexpectately dies and leaves all his money to me, I don't think I'll ever make it as much as him. I'd never even want to, you know."  
"Why not?" Krystal asked. In her family, had been crystal clear that she would be the heir of Jung Internationals. After her father would be too old to stay in this high and exhausting position, his second daughter would become the new CEO. With Charles Jung as mentor, a degree in economics and a few years of experience, she theoretically would be able to make it. Her whole life had she trained for that moment, to climb to the top and break the glass wall that was always there for women. Now that she had connections in this life, she wanted to use them to the fullest to come to the highest positions he could get. The warnings about being lonely and all the concequences that came with being lonely in a top position didn't scare her. Krystal knew she'd be able to handle that, partly because she grew up with that since her youth.  
Krystal couldn't imagine that someone wouldn't want to become a CEO. Someone who earns a lot of money, has power and will marry happily to a beautiful husband or wife. Get children to care for. Once you had taken opportunity of that life style, it could make you so much more happier than living a life worrying about money. How could Amber not want that.  
"You really don't know?" asked Amber. Krystal frowned her eyebrows. Did she miss something? Was it that obvious that people wouldn't want a good job? She blinked a couple of times in confusement. Amber smiled to her like a mother smiles to her child whenever they had said something dumb, but were incredibly proud of. They didn't know it was dumb, because they were simply too innocent.  
"My father and I are very alike. People tend to say I'm his female version," Amber started. "But we have one thing that differs us from each other. My father is strongly convinced that work is the most important thing in life. His family, his wife, always came second. That's probably why our fathers like each other so much; they think the same way. I am used to it, you know, that he puts his work over my mother, my sister and me. I have learned to live with it. As a child, it hurted, when he couldn't be at my first theatre performance, or when I graduated from high school. I don't think like that anymore. I know he tries his best, and that he works so hard for us, but... knowing what I went through when I was a child, I don't want to do that to my child. I want to be at their first performance, even if they have no lines. I want to be there at night to cuddle with them, and my wife. And most of all, I want to give them all the love they deserve. Of course, a good job would be great. I hope I make it as a music producer, that'd just be awesome, you know? But I choose love above work, so I won't persue my father in his career. I'm simply not made for a life like that and I don't think the money is worth it. My sister, Jackie, will persue father, though. But me... nah. I think I'll just find a chill job that I love and won't ever grow tired of, marry happily and get a house full of children. That's what I want, not to earn loads of money."  
Krystal listened to her words with a strange transfiction. The way she spoke was almost hypnotizing because she was so sure of herself. But wasn't Amber Liu always sure about herself? The girl breathed confidence.  
Even though, her normally loud voice had reduced to a tiny one, sounding almost soft, almost sweet. The girl didn't seem so tough anymore, with her dark hair and her tattoos and her piercings. Like she was nothing more than a broken person, like Krystal was.  
The brunette's throat clenched. Amber looked back up to her and shot her a small smile.  
"That's why we don't get along. You're like your father, like my father. I just am not. I like to get the best out of my life whilst having fun, whilst you have ambition. I admire that."  
Krystal stayed silent, and took her eyes off the other girl. With a heavy heart, she let out a sigh. Amber's words made her think, since she had never seen quite another perspective in this matter. Both of her parents were, as the troublemaker stated it, very 'ambitious', and had passed that onto their two daughters. Jessica, despite not wanting to be the next CEO, was very driven when it came to becoming an idol too. Their whole family strived for perfection, for the highest level possible, always. Krystal had been brought up thinking that was the right and only way, that slacking in life would not bring you any good and you'd regret it later when you'd end up working in a Walmart.  
Amber proved to be different. She wasn't afraid to end up in a Walmart store. In fact, she seemed to embrace it. Of course she wanted it to work out to become a music producer but Krystal guessed that, as long as she had love — a healthy family, a lover, friends — it didn't matter how much money she had or what kind of job she went to every morning. It was a strange, liberating way of thinking. It fit her. Being confident that you can be happy despite not achieving the best possible was something to be proud of. Krystal didn't know how that felt like, and she doubted she would ever know. She'd never be as confident as Amber.

Without thinking, she let her head rest upon Amber's shoulder. Startled by her own action, she at first wanted to pull it back, especially when she felt how Amber's shoulder tensed as soon as her head rested upon it. Though, part of her knew that it would be of no use; that if she really had a problem with leaning against the brat's body that her subconsciousness would've never given in to piece of her that had stopped hating Amber Liu. And since Amber didn't shake her off, they just stayed that way. Amber eventually eased into the postition, which surprisingly took rather long, knowing how extroverted she usually was. Krystal didn't think she'd ever have problems with human touches. Although, now that Amber had confessed all these deep thoughts to her, she wondered if she really was an extrovert. The longer Krystal seemed to know Amber, the more they looked alike.  
The conversation fell silent, and both girls just enjoyed the view. The snacks were long forgotten. Neither of them felt hungry enough.

"Well, what about you? Now that you've taken a look into my life, I can ask a question in return, right?" Amber said, after a while. Krystal looked up to her, though not taking her head off her shoulder, and nodded.  
"You may."  
That's how their conversation started. Just an endless string of personal questions, some as deep as Krystal's question whether Amber was going to follow her father's footsteps, others as simple as 'What's your favourite colour?'. They asked each other everything they wanted to know. Amber's favourite animal was a dog, because she thought she resembled one. Krystal's favourite colour was purple. Amber wanted to have three kids later whilst Krystal either zero or one. If she'd have enough money, Amber wanted to make a world trip. Krystal agreed with that, although money would not be the issue if she finally got her job at Jung Internationals.  
The more questions were asked, the more Krystal felt sympathic with the rascal. She turned out not to be that bad at all, when you looked through the cheeky grin, the confidence strikes and the cock-sure attitude. In fact, Amber was very emotional, and was a poetic thinker. It surprised Krystal that she hadn't become a philosophy major. It made sense that she wanted to be a music producer though, because she wanted to produce songs with a meaning, songs that made her heart ache.  
Krystal had never thought she'd be like that. Usually, when she was proven wrong, Krystal was hit by feelings like annoyance and guilt for not knowing. Now, she didn't feel like that. She didn't care about being proven wrong. She was glad.


	7. Chapter six

Near three o'clock in the morning, they were both so tired that they had let their bodies slump against each other's. Both of them had their eyes closed, on the edge of falling asleep. Through the course of the night, their hands had found each other, and their fingers had intertwined, just like they had the beginning of the evening. Only then it had still been an accident.  
"Amber..." Krystal moaned. "Let's go home..."  
"Hmm."   
It took them another five minutes before one of them moved. Amber was the first one who managed to get up, and she pulled Krystal up by her hand. The brunette had trouble finding her balance on her heels, now that her body was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. She had to hold onto Amber to not fall back again. Part of her just wanted to stay her on the roof. Now that they had shared such personal experiences here together, she actually didn't want to leave anymore. But the cold had infiltrated her body, and had made her muscles stiff and had made her heartbeat slow down. After a few hours in the cold, her body was protesting so much that she knew she wouldn't stand the cold much longer. She needed warmth.  
"How far is your place?" Amber asked.  
"Eh... I usually come here by car... perhaps an hour or two walking?" she muttered, her sentence half way interrupted by a yawn. She was too tired to place her hand in front of her mouth anymore. They still held hands.  
"My place is a quarter away from here. Wanna come?" Amber asked. "Nah, I'm not even asking. You're gonna come with me because otherwise you'll freeze to death or collapse."  
Krystal shrugged, and just followed her back to the door. Amber opened it, and they went back down the stairs. Half way their way down Krystal just ook off her shoes, because it was impossible to get down the steep stairs with her heels. Whilst wearing them in her hand, and her other hand still linked to Amber's, they walked down, both yawning and often pausing to catch their breaths. They were honestly so out of shape; it was almost funny.

When they reached the hall again, Krystal was already dragging her body around. Amber had woken up a little bit, and was much more alert than Krystal was, probably due to the fact that she often stayed up until times like these, and was sort of used to it. Krystal, the goody two shoes, went to bed around eleven, twelve when she felt like it, which was quite early. She was not used to these late hours and her body was screaming for sleep.  
Even before they reached the front doors, Amber turned around to her, with her hands placed in her sides. Krystal, barely able to keep her eyes open, watched her through her squinted eyes. The brat took her backpack off her back and reached it out to Krystal.  
"What?" she asked.  
"Carry my backpack," Amber replied.  
"No!" Krystal protested. The older girl chuckled and rolled her eyes, then pushed her backpack into her hands.  
"If you carry my backpack, I'll carry you," she explained. Krystal frowned her eyebrows, and stared at her for a moment. Eventually, she put the backpack — which was actually quite heavy — on her back and nodded. Amber laughed, and sank down to her knees.  
"Get on! Piggyback ride for the Princess," she said. Whilst huffing out of annoyance because of the nickname, Krystal got onto Amber's back. She yelped when she stood up, and wrapped her arms quickly around her neck. Not tight enough that she'd have trouble breathing, but just tight enough to stay seated very well. Amber wrapped her arms around her thighs and looked over her shoulder up to the brunette.  
"Nice and comfie?—" Amber asked. Krystal nodded. "Let's get going then."  
Amber started walking. The rhythmatic moving of her body underneath her caused to swing slightly from the left to the right. It didn't help to stay awake, and it didn't take long before Krystal's eyes started to fall shut again. She let her head rest against Amber's, letting her carry her to her apartment. Only a few hours ago she would've rather killed herself than to go with Amber Josephine Liu to her apartment. Now, it didn't seem like such a crazy idea. It was almost as if they had been friends for ages, and Krystal didn't think about it as weird to go with her and sleep there.

She didn't know how long it took, probably because she already had fallen asleep once on her back during the ride, but eventually they arrived at Amber's apartment complex. It was located near the convenience store; she could see the bright light shine over the houses even from here. It wasn't big, the size of a normal house in fact, and it probably housed three or four apartments, which weren't too big either. Amber pinched in her legs, to wake her up, whilst softly whispering her name.  
"Princes...? Krystal..!"  
"Hmmm?" she replied.  
"I'm going to put you down now, so we can get in the house."  
"Hmmm," she replied again. Amber chuckled, and slowly put her down. Krystal kept her arms around her shoulders, until she refound her balance and could stand on her own. The other girl took her keys out of her pocket and opened the door for her.  
"Entrée," she said. "My French is amazing, don't you think?"  
Krystal just rolled her eyes, and stepped into the dark hall. Amber shut the door behind them, and immediately slipped her hand into the brunette's. A bit surprised, she looked up to her.  
"I don't want to wake the others, so just follow me upstairs, okay?"  
Krystal nodded, but then realized that Amber probably couldn't see that.  
"Yes.." she whispered in reply. Amber pinched her hand softly, and she pinched back. The other girl started to move, and Krystal followed. Slow steps, which eventually started going upwards when they encountered the stairs. At the top of the stairs, they had to go through a small corridor, which was barely broad enough for two people to walk next to each other. They turned right, then stopped in front of a door, presumably Amber's front door. She took her keys out again, and opened it, this time getting in first and turning on the light. Krystal immediately squinted her eyes shut because of the sudden bright light, and Amber too muttered a soft curse word because of it. It took her a few seconds before she got used to the light, and even then she could only open her eyes a little bit.  
It was even smaller than she had imagined. Amber's apartment was a one room apartment, with a small exception that was the bathroom. The door to the bathroom was immediately at their right. There was a tiny kitchen, which basically was a stove, an old fridge and a tiny bit of dresser. A double bed against the wall, with a closet almost directly next to it. There was a simple wooden table, with a TV that faced the bed, near the only window, with four chairs of the same design, probably gotten from a second-hand store. The walls were white, causing the room to probably look bigger than it actually is during the day. Now that the only light came from the small lamp on the ceiling, the walls seemed yellow.  
Now that Krystal looked closely, she saw how messy it actually was. Dishes in the sink, a half-empty six pack on the table, together with a few empty bottles of alcohol. Some used clothes here, an open bottle of deodorant there. The sheets were unmade and laid in a pile on the bed. It wasn't smelling unpleasantly, but she had to get used to it. Like she hadn't opened a window for the last couple of days.  
Immediately when they got in, a small bark erupted from the room. Krystal looked for the source of the sound, but only found it when the small dog was scratching her legs. It was a tiny black chihuahua, barking with a high-pitched voice to the stranger and its owner.  
"Jack Jack, go home!" Amber said. The dog looked at her for a moment with a sad look in his tiny eyes, then returned to his tent-shaped basket. From another corner of the room sounded a small 'miauw'. A tiny blue gray kitten appeared from the shadows, taking in its owner and the stranger.  
"That's Tuna.." Amber said. "She doesn't like strangers much."  
And indeed, the kitten returned immediately to its small basket underneath the table. Krystal, too tired to take in everything, just nodded, and yawned. She just wanted to sleep.  
Krystal squatted down which caused Jack Jack to erupt from his tent again and run towards her. She petted him behind his ears.  
"Where will I sleep? Do you have an extra matress or something?" she asked. Amber had taken off her jacket and threw it over one of the chairs. She rubbed with the hand on the back of her neck and let out a nervous little laugh.  
"Yeah, I kinda forgot to tell you that I just have one bed..."  
Krystal looked up, immediately stopping with petting of the chihuahua. Jack Jack whined and rubbed with his head against her hand, but she didn't even feel it.  
"So...-" she started. Amber cleared her throat, rather uncomfertably.  
"Yeah.. Mind sleeping together in one bed? I can lend you sleeping clothes and such. I think they're a bit too big for you, but you'll at least able to sleep warmly.. and, you know, not in just your lingerie," Amber rambled. Krystal was almost unable to make out what she was saying, because the words rushed out of her mouth faster than lightning. The troublemaker wouldn't catch her eye, and a strange thought popped up in her head: Was she, perhaps, nervous? Krystal snickered at the idea.  
"What? Have you never seen a woman in her undies?" she asked. For a moment, she thought to see Amber's cheeks colour. But maybe it was just the shimmering of the light, she thought, because when she moved her head, everything seemed normal again. Amber chuckled softly.  
"Believe me that I don't have experience with ladies in their underwear. I have experience with ladies without underwear!" she joked. Krystal shot her a foul glance and rolled her eyes.  
"Brat.." she mumbled. Jack Jack was still whining for attention, so she turned herself back to the little dog and started to scratch its belly.  
"Yes! Your owner is a dirty rascal that needs to clean her mouth, yes!" said Krystal, in a high-pitched voice that made Jack Jack's tail wiggle even more. She heard Amber chuckle from behind her.  
"So I take that as a 'yes'? You're staying over?" she asked softly. Krystal looked up to her and nodded.  
"I don't feel like walking home anymore."  
Amber smiled to her and nodded.

Whilst Krystal snuggled up with Jack Jack on the floor — although she was more a cat person, Jack Jack was fine too, because Tuna wouldn't show herself anymore — Amber started to make everything ready. She got a baggy T-shirt and shorts from Amber, which she galantly threw to her head. Amber made up her bed, even though that'd be useless since they'd get in together soon. Amber turned around when Krystal changed out of her dress and into Amber's clothes, which smelled like her sweet scent even though they had been washed. She quickly did so, and laid her dress over one of the back of the chairs, tying her hair in a ponytail afterwards. Krystal also promised not to look when Amber changed her clothes, but she couldn't help to peek a look.  
Amber's body was toned, more than the average girl, which made her think that she probably worked out a lot. Despite her obvious female features — that were more visible now that she had her clothes off — her shoulders were still broad, her biceps still toned with muscles. She only saw her back, but even without tensing her muscles, she could see the lines of them underneath her skin. There must also be abs, no doubt, she thought. Her breasts were hugged by a sports bra, and she wore boxers underneath. It caused her to get a tough, manly appearance even without clothes. But the more she tried to look tough, to look like she was strong enough to bear the shit of the world, the softer she looked in Krystal's eyes. Despite her jawbone, her features weren't hard. Her shoulders, her hips, her legs, they all had a certain softness to it that was almost adorable. It was almost cute...  
Right before she turned around again, Krystal turned back to Jack Jack. The dog was now playing with her fingers in her lap, oblivious about the faster beating of her heart, or the clamminess of her hands, so suddenly.

When they were both done, Amber sent Jack Jack to his basket again, and dimmed the lights in the room, so that the only light came from the moon that shone through the uncovered window. They brushed their teeth, drank a last glass of water and immediately went to bed. Krystal got in first, and Amber last. The sheets were cold, despite the hot temperature in the room, which immediately caused goosebumps to appear all over her body. She took the blankets and pulled them up to her chin. Despite the extra clothes she had gotten from Amber, she was still shivering badly.  
"Can you stop moving, or something?" Amber muttered. "You're disturbing my beauty sleep."  
Krystal sighed and huffed.  
"I can't help it your bed feels like the North Pole," she hissed back. She heard Amber chuckle.  
"Come here then, Princess," she said. Krystal heard the sheets rustle, and a few seconds later she felt an arm slip around her waist and Amber's body pressed against hers from behind. She gulped loudly in surprise. Her fingers curled around the sheets. It felt like her skin was burning at the places it made contact with Amber's body, which was practically her whole body now. She could feel the other girl's slow, steady breathing in her neck, her relaxed muscles underneath her skin. Her mouth grew dry, and she had no idea why. Whilst biting her lip, she tried to get her own body under control, hoping that the sudden uneasiness would fade if she would just try to relax.  
"Are you feeling warm yet?"  
Well, her body was burning, but she couldn't say that, so Krystal just made a small 'Hmm'-sound. Even though she was physically very tired, her mind was racing. She already knew that she'd be unable to fall asleep if Amber stayed so close all night. And it was ridiculous, honestly, to be so sensitive to the punk's touches. Only a day ago she wouldn't have wanted Amber to lay a finger on her, or even look in her direction.. and now she was snuggling up with her in Amber's bed, in Amber's apartment. And not only did she like it to be close, it seemed like her complete digust for the other girl had dissapeared completely. In fact, she smelled quite nice and her hands were really soft and nice to hold. Inside that hard layer of dark clothing and a I-don't-give-a-shit-about-anything attitude, was an emotional girl who was alone, just like she was. A thinker, someone she could find herself in not just in one aspect. It scared her how much she had came to like Amber.  
Krystal understood why so many girls had fallen for her already. It made her feel even worse knowing that she was just like one of those girls; she had fallen for Amber's charms, while she had promised herself not too. She started to wonder whether Amber showed that soft side of her to every girl she encountered, that it was all just an act to get them into her bed. Ah well, it had worked with her after all. Perhaps a little longer than normal, but it had still worked. Krystal felt like she had betrayed her own principles.  
"Good night, Krystal..."   
Amber's voice was soft, and soaked with sleepiness. It was rather cute.  
"Good night, Amber," Krystal replied.

It took only a few minutes before Amber's heartbeat slowed down to the minimum. The other girl started to breath evenly in through her mouth, sometimes letting out a soft unconscious snore. Krystal's body was still quite tensed up. It took her a little longer to finally fall asleep.  
It was a quarter to four when Krystal fell asleep too. She wasn't cold for the entire night.


	8. Chapter seven

Krystal woke up from the sun, shining directly into her face, and a whining Jack Jack. With a moan she turned around in the bed, not wanting to wake up just yet. Her body only now felt the after shocks of her tiredness the evening before. Her body was too weak to move, and her eyelids seemed to be stuck together, not willing to open.  
Only when Jack Jack jumped on the bed, and started to lick her face, Krystal forced herself to open them a tiny bit — with much diffeculty. She gave the dog quickly a pet over his head, so that it would stop. With a sigh, she opened her eyes a bit further. The light that shone through the window and lightened the room as almost inbearable for her tired eyes. It stinged a tiny bit.  
Jack Jack laid on the other pillow, with his tiny eyes pointed desperately at her. He stood up and laid down again, only to turn a circle the next time. Krystal, who didn't know anything of dogs, just gave him another pet, hoping that she'd get him to quiet down with that. Only when the dog started to jump on the bed, she noticed that he suddenly had quite a large space to jump on... The mattress besides hers was empty; Amber had left.  
Krystal immediately sat up straight. Her muscles complained, but she didn't care. Quickly she threw the blankets off of her. The little dog was buried by them instead, and barked at the sudden attack of the sheets. The apartment was tiny enough to observe in one moment. She only checked the bathroom, whether the lock wasn't turned, but it was open too. Krystal liked to be alone, and she liked it that she could change her clothes and get ready now without feeling pressured, but she didn't like it at all that Amber wasn't here anymore. It was her apartment after all. Why would she leave her like that? Was she out to get groceries? Or did she just not care about her anymore and went to her friends?  
Then it hit her; it was Wednesday... She had class!

In a sudden rush of panick, she tried to get all her things. Jack Jack barked and whined, but she ignored him for now. Krystal ran up to the toilet, quickly peed and hopped back to the bed, quickly taking off the clothes she had borrowed. She didn't want to get back into her dress, but she seemed like she must. She grabbed it from the chair and wanted to put it on again right at the moment her eye spotted a small note stuck to the material. It was a yellow post-it, with a small message written in a rather crappy handwriting.

**_Krystal,_ **

****_I didn't want to wake you for class. I asked some of your classmates to take notes for you nevertheless. I made lunch for you, it's in the kitchen.  
Jack Jack will probably wake you up around noon, because he has to pee. Normally my mom would always drop by to take him out, but I called her off today, because I thought you'd be so kind to let him out before you go back to the uni and scold me for not waking you =D He's a nice pup, don't worry. I placed his leash on the table, you'll only have to clip it onto his collar.  
Sorry I couldn't stay, I would've liked to skip the day with you, but I had an important appointment, so I had to leave.  
See you soon._

**_Amber_ **

"What an asshole..." Krystal swore. Jack Jack had freed himself from the blackets, and was now scratching her lower legs, whining. Krystal shot him a look and sighed.  
"Guess I'm going to have to walk you, right boy?" she said. Jack Jack made a pirouette and barked enthusiastically. She let out a smirk, then gave him another pet over his head. Quickly, she went back to the closet, since the little guy seemed to be really needing to pee, and took out some of Amber's other clothes. Now that she had refused to wake her up for class, she thought that she was permitted to took out some more clothes. Simple jogging pants and a baggy dark green sweater with Pikachu stitched on the front. The sweater wasn't quite the first thing she would've picked out when it came to style, but it looked the warmest. Since her coat was too thin to keep her warm, this garment would probably do a better job.  
She put it on, and took the leash from the table. She clipped it onto Jack Jack's collar. The tiny dog immediately hopped over to the front door and started to scratch at it, looking over its back to Krystal with those pleading puppy eyes. Krystal opened the door, and the tiny dog shot forewards.

A quarter later they returned to the apartment. It had done her well to feel the cold wind against her face, and the tiny dog was satisfied too. Now that she had woken up entirely, she would be able to make herself ready. It had been almost scary how accurate Amber could predict Krystal's feelings, based on only one night together. She indeed was furious that she hadn't been woken up, but knowing that the brat was at the university eased her mind a bit. She was already too late for her lectures and her last seminar had started half an hour ago. It would be useless to attend that now anyway, so she had no need to rush.  
She decided to keep on the sweater and probably borrow it for the rest of the day. It warmed her up and it smelled like Amber. That smell had become something she had grown to like over the course of last night. She didn't feel like changing back into her uneasy dress that was way, waaaay, too cold for this weather. She'd probably put it on later, and put on the sweater over it, so that she wouldn't get hypthermia in the next few hours. It was just too cozy to take off, even though she didn't like Pokémon at all. To find out that Amber did was actually quite funny. She hadn't thought that Amber Josephine Liu, the badass troublemaker with a sex, drugs and rock-'n-roll attitude liked such a nerdy thing as Pokémon.  
Krystal found the lunch that Amber had prepared for her. Two grilled cheese and ham sandwiches, placed neatly onto a plate together with a small salad — that didn't look that bad at all — and a few apple slices. A bottle of water stood next to it, together with another post-it note that said:

**_Here you go Princess! I know you like healthy food, so I got this for you. Eat well!_ **

Krystal took the post-it note from the bottle and sighed. She folded it together, and placed it into the pocket of the joggingpants she was wearing. She took the lunch to the table and sat down on one of the chairs. It had been a mistake to take out her phone out of the pocket of her coat, and check her messages. As soon as she unlocked it, the screen displayed a countless ammount of messages, as well from her father, mother, sister and her friends. They were all worried about her. Krystal decided to turn her phone off again during the eating. The dozens of messages would only ruin her appetite, and she honstly didn't feel in the mood to justify herself over and over again to people she actually shouldn't have to. Okay, she had to admit that she probably should've told her father and her mother where she had gone, but still, if her father was too busy to pay attention to his daughter, she would've probably sneaked out sooner or later anyway, right? Amber had only sped it up a little bit.  
She ate her lunch in silence, sometimes feeding a small piece of the ham of her sandwich to Jack Jack, who ate it thankfully. The dog wouldn't leave her anymore, and was constantly chewing on the legs of the jogging pants. Since it was Amber's, Krystal didn't shoo the dog away, and just let him. He'd never see her anymore after this anyway, so she enjoyed the time she and Jack Jack were together. Maybe she should get a dog herself. She cleared her plate away, putting it away in the sink and quickly washing it, so that she could place it cleanly back into the cupboard above the stove.  
Now that she had eaten her fill, it was time to get back to the university to kick Amber's sweet ass.

Krystal got dressed; changing Amber's chewed on jogging pants for her dress. On top of that she took the green Pikachu sweater. It was hideous together, but since she'd be wearing her coat too, she guessed that no one would be able to see it anyway. She'd just go back to the university to scold Amber and then go home to apologize to her parents.  
She got her stuff and dressed herself up; putting on her coat, fixing her hair as well possible so that it wouldn't look like a bird's nest, taking her phone and her belongings and eventually clearing up the mess she made. Smoothening the sheets, clearing the table, placing the stairs right, folding the clothes she had used for the night.  
After petting Jack Jack for the last time, and giving the little guy a kiss on his head, Krystal left the apartment. She made sure to close the door thoroughly. She was still nervous about someone getting in, but she didn't have a key, so more than closing the door she couldn't do.  
The blisters on her feet were painfully aching when she started to walk towards the university, but Krystal wouldn't take them off. Her whole reputation would be ruined if she turned up at school with her heels in her hands. And she would have to die first before she'd let that happen. So she endured the pain, like she did always after she wore her heels too much for too long, and just walked on.  
It took her a little longer than a quarter to reach the gates, mainly dure to her aching feet. She thought back to the previous night, when she had been seated safely on Amber's back. Her arms wrapped around her throat, her face nuzzled into the crook of her neck, breathing in her scent with every breath she took. Suddenly that seemed like a world away. Something that could only happen in a dream. Had it really been her who had been carried by Amber? When she thought of it back now, it seemed like it was almost romantic, if both of them hadn't been so tired that they were both barely able to walk. Still... Amber had carried her, despite being so tired.  
Krystal swallowed with diffeculty, and walked through the gates.

Now that she had arrived at the university, she noticed that she actually had no idea where to start. She didn't know Amber's scedule, nor did she knew where that important appointment of her would be. The most logic thing was to seek for someone who did know where she was.  
Amber's group of friends always hung around the cafeteria, she knew. She had been often bothered by their loudness, so she knew well. With steady, confident steps she pushed through the entrance doors. The memory of last night came back, when Amber had grinned so prettily to her after showing off that she could pick the lock. Krystal pushed it out of her mind.  
She reached the cantine. The taste of the ramen of last night came up. With an annoyed sigh she ran with her hand through her still somewhat messy hair. Was Amber all she could think of today or something?  
Luckily she already heard what she was looking for. The group of friends was seated in the corner of the cafeteria, with their feet up on the tables and food installed next to them. They were a mixture of girls and boys, each with a hint of alternativeness to them that was hard to not notice. Krystal usually ignored them and sat down as far away from them as possible, but this time, she walked straight towards them. Amber wasn't with them, she saw. Somehow it saddened her a little bit, even though she had already known that she wouldn't be.  
Scott saw her first. He was kind of Amber's right hand, and just as cheeky as she was. Like her of Asian heritage, but lacking just the piece of refinement her father had brought her up with. He had a bag of cheetos in his right hand. His left was buried deep inside the sack. There were crumps of the snack around the corners of his mouth. He had placed his legs on the lap of one of his friends.  
His eyes followed her, stared at her, until she stopped in front of their table. He took his hand out of the sack, and placed it together with the other snacks.  
"Well, well, well. Look who we have here. Miss Jung, how can we be of service to you?" Scott said. At the end of the sentence, he laughed cheekily, stood up and bowed to her. Krystal wrapped her arms in front of her chest; she was not amused at all. There was something about Scott's grin that gave him something mean instead of likeable, like Amber. She couldn't appreciate his smile like she did with Amber's.  
"I want to know where Amber is," she said coldly. Scott laughed, and the other with him.  
"Why would we tell you? You're just one of the many fangirls who want to know where she is. If she's interested in you, she'll come to you. Scott said. Krystal rolled with her eyes.  
"I'm not looking for her to hook up with her, but to kick her ass.  
Scott and his friends exchanged a surprised look. They started to laugh again, only this time they didn't seem to be laughing at Krystal. Her tightened chest eased a little bit. Scott turned back to her, still chuckling.  
"She's at the theatre room. She wouldn't tell us why. Please interfer and kick her ass. Record it too if you have time," he said. "Good luck."  
Krystal nodded towards him, shared a gaze with the rest of the group, then turned around, walking into thedirection of the theatre as fast as possible. She never felt quite at ease with the group of troublemakers.

She wondered why Amber was in the theatre hall. They didn't have class today, nor any rehearsals, so it was a mystery to her why Amber would be there. But if it was important enough for her to wake up after three hours of sleep, it would be quite a big deal, wouldn't it? Krystal pursed her lips whilst thinking.  
She walked towards the theatre hall, almost eagerly. Of course it was nothing but curiosity why Amber had gone out so early in the morning. That explained her quickly beating heart, of course. There could not be another explanation.  
She felt herself sweating in the warm green sweater.

Now that she came near the room she had to be, a sound of music met her ears as she walked. With frowned brows, she speeded up a little. It seemed to have come from the theatre.  
Krystal pushed open the doors of the hall and stepped in. Immediately, her eyes sought Amber. It was not diffecult to spot her. She stood on the stage, behind the microphone, her face so close that her lips must touch it gently. Behind her were a few other people. One she recognized as the student who had been turned down at the music academy, and was now the best guitar player on campus. There was a girl behind a keyboard and two other boys playing the bass and the drums.  
The sound of the music she had heard in the corridor was strengthened, almost to a volume that it hurt your ears. An upbeat song, with the guitar and the drums playing big parts. Amber moved her mouth, and her voice sounded through the speakers. Light, high and crystal clear. Different from her hoarse voice that usually belonged to her.  
When the doors fell shut, she could swear that Amber looked up to her. It was only for a second, then she moved her eyes away again. She sang the lines like they came right out of her heart, right from the bottom of her deepest thoughts. But she only sang a few lines when the song came to an end. The guitar let his strings waver, and the sound slowly faded in the distance.  
Only when one of them cleared their throat, Krystal noticed that she, Amber and the band weren't the only one in the theatre. There were three people on the front row, each with a clipboard in their hands. From what it seemed like, it were two men and one woman, each with their eyes directed at Amber. Once in a while their hands moved to write something down. The men wore a suit and the woman a dress, each looking incredibly expensive. Krystal frowned her eyebrows in incomprehension, not understanding why these people would watch Amber perform a song.  
Almost directly after the song had ended, the keyboard player started another melodie. A softer one, with light, high tones. The guitar played replaced his electric guitar for an acoustic one. The drum player and the bass player dissapeared from the stage. Amber's eyes fluttered up to her again, this time longer. Their eyes met, and they exchanged a look. Amber smiled. And that eased Krystal. She was almost afraid that she had interrupted something so important that even Amber would get nervous. But she was still smiling that cheeky grin of hers. It calmed her quickly beating heart a little bit. Her stomach started to tickle, almost as if it were butterflies.  
Amber started off with the same high, clear voice like the had had at the pervious song, with a few 'Ooh, ooh's. Their eyes met again. Even from the highest row, Krystal could see the sparkles in her eyes.  
"Stop don't turn that lock, hold that key don't drop-" Amber started.

For the entire song, they looked at each other. A cheeky grin from Amber was answered with shy smiles from Krystal, especially when she sang the line 'we're doing it hard like them animals do'. She couldn't help but to think of that sexually. It was hard to follow the meaning of the words; she was just too mesmerized by her voice. It was almost hypnotizing. Krystal would've never thought that Amber could sing, and that she could sing a love song so purely and innocently. Amber Josephine Liu was everything but innocent. And still, when she heard her sing, it felt like Amber had written this song for her first love, for the first girl who had made her heart beat. It made Krystal's heart beat too. It almost felt like she had written it specially for her, the way she looked at her like that form the stage with that meaningful gaze in her eyes. It made her blush. Hopefully Amber would be able to see that from here.

The song came to an end. This time, the keyboard player didn't start another song. Instead, the drum player and the bass player came back onto the stage again, and they all bowed together to the three people on the front row. Amber, still behind the mic, suddenly seemed almost nervous. Her brows were frowned, and Krystal immediately started to worry too.  
"Miss Liu, thank you for your performance. We will take this in note, and we'll let you hear the result in a few days. I don't think you have to worry much, we were amazed by your capacity. Keep going like this and we can assure you there'll be a spot for you when you graduate."  
Amber's grin had returned immediately. Krystal snickered, and wrapped her arms over each other. It filled her with a strange delight to see that she got so many good responses. Only to think that she would've probably wanted Amber not to succeed only a few days ago, she wouldn't want to see her anywhere near sad now.  
Amber bowed again.  
"Thank you! I will not let you down!" she said.  
The woman chuckled softly.  
"We're sure you won't."  
The three people stood up, their clipboards pressed against their bodies, and walked towards the exit. Krystal stepped aside for them, so that they could leave. In the last moment, her eyes met those of the woman.  
When the door fell shut behind them, an deafening sound emerged from the stage. Amber and the others were falling each other in the arms, jumping and screaming and cheering for each other. Krystal started to laugh at the sight. She had never seen her so happy.

Krystal let them hug each other for a moment, then made her way down. Ascending from the stairs, towards the stage. Amber let her band mate go, and turned towards her, a wide, happy grin on her face. Krystal immediately started to smile too. It somehow felt good to see her happy. It made her feel warm and fuzzy inside, even though she had wanted to kick her ass only ten minutes ago.  
Amber sat down on the edge of the stage when she arrived. Krystal leaned against it, with her elbow touching Amber's leg. It felt like an electric shock went through her body from the point where their bodies touched. Goosebumps appeared all over her arms.  
"Did you like it, Princess?" Amber asked her, whilst bowing down a bit to her. Krystal chuckled and rolled her eyes. For a moment, she pouted her lips and turned her eyes towards the ceiling, as if she was thinking.  
"Mweh, your voice was kind of flat," she said, shrugging. Amber made a sound that sounded the most alike with the sound a dog makes when it gets hurt. A whiny sound that made her chuckle even harder. Krystal looked up to her and smiled genuinely.  
"You did well," she said. Amber's grin returned.  
"Duhh, of course! I'm amazing," she said. "Fabulous!"  
Amber tried to hair flip her pony, which ended up being very funny and causing both of them to laugh even harder. Krystal was only faintly aware of the staring looks she got from their other students. It was a little weird, she had to admit. Only yesterday she despised Amber Josephine Liu, and now it seemed like they were best friends. They had this weird little chemistry between them that made her heart beat faster and made her laugh a thousand times more than she normally would have done. She felt at ease with the brat, despite the huge differences between their lives. With Amber, the air was always light and enjoyable.  
The people who hung out with Amber, knew that they had never been thick. The people who hung out with Krystal, knew she hated her. For anyone else who hadn't been on the roof that night, and hadn't fallen asleep in Amber's arms, it was impossible to know why they had both had these big smiles on their faces when they with each other.  
"Yeah sure," Krystal huffed. "So this was that important appointment you had to go to and to leave me all alone? It's not nice to wake up alone, you know."  
Amber's eyebrows shot up in disbelief for a moment. Even Krystal couldn't understand why she had said that. It sounded too flirty for something that she'd say; she didn't know herself like this. Also, it startled her that she had flirted with Amber, of all people! Quickly, she turned her eyes away to avoid Amber's piercing gaze. Her cheeks turned slightly red, and due to her pale skin you could tell right away that she was blushing. Why did her own body have to punish her this way?  
"I'm sorry, I should've told you or brought you home," Amber said. "You didn't mind walking Jack Jack, I hope?"  
Krystal looked back up to her, into those deep, dark eyes that were suddenly very worried. She shook her head.  
"No. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to kick your ass," she said strictly. Amber, surprised by Krystal's fierce comeback, started to laugh.  
"I'd like to see you try on those heels!" she laughed. Krystal shot her an icy look.  
She made a face.  
"I don't even have to chase you. You won't run from me anyway, Amber," she said smugly. Amber chuckled, then shrugged and raised her eyes until they met the ceiling.  
"Ah well. I'm not saying that isn't true but-"  
Krystal had grabbed her hand, and Amber had immediately stopped talking. By quickly intertwining their fingers, she made the rascal stop talking and look back to her with a look of confusement. The same look of nervosity in those dark eyes. It was adorable to see that not only Krystal started to act weird when their hands touched, but that Amber too reacted upon it differently than she would have if someone else would've grabbed her hand. Was her heart beating as fast as Krystal's right now? Was her body aching to be closer like hers too?  
"Follow me," she said. Her voice sounded weirdly confident. Actually, Krystal didn't feel confident at all. But there was this rush of adrenaline in her body that was hard to ignore. Maybe she now understood what Amber had meant with taking risks, with wanting to live on the edge so that she could enjoy that addictive feeling of adrenaline. It almost felt like she hadn't lived until now.  
Amber jumped from the stage, and followed her without asking questions. Not only their hands were connected, but their hearts too, it seemed. They dissapeared back stage. The sounds of the group of students, tidying up their music instruments had faded to the background. It was dark behind the wings of the theatre. The light was dimmed, causing a shadow to be cast over both of their faces.  
"What's wrong?" Amber asked softly. Krystal smiled weakly. Suddenly she was painfully aware that she was still holding Amber's hand. The other girl didn't pull back, and neither did she. It felt good, which frightened her a bit, but also put her at ease. Nothing had ever felt so good before.  
She pouted her lips and formed a fist with her other hand. Softly, but just hard enough that it would hurt her a little bit, she punched Amber's shoulder a few times.  
"I really didn't like it that you went away this morning," she whined. Amber, taken back by her sudden change of mood and the cute pursing of her lips, could only stare at her, and laugh nervously. She didn't even bow back when Krystal punched her. Eventually, she stopped. Krystal sighed and ran with her hand through her hair.  
"But-" she started off seriously again. "I had a great time yesterday. I still wanted to thank you for that."  
Krystal fell silent. For a moment, their eyes locked in a knowing gaze. Amber frowned her eyebrows a little bit; Krystal biting her on her lower lip. Her throat felt dry and her body weak, but her mind felt strong. She knew what she wanted. Perhaps she had always wanted it, just like everyone else, but had simply translated that into hatred for Amber because she thougth she'd never be able to get it. Hadn't she dreamed about a significant other like her since her youth? Now she was within reach. She only had to set things in motion.  
Krystal thought about almost everything. She was the kind of person to calculate her actions carefully. But now, she turned off her brain. To think about what she was going to do now would only frighten her, and that would cause her to step away. Eventually she'd become even more miserable because she hadn't done it, than if she had done it and she was turned down.  
So she let herself be lead by her heart instead of her head, for a change. She stepped foreward quickly, hoping that if she did it quickly that Amber would have no time to reject her and that she'd still have the courage to do so. Because of her heels, their heights matched perfectly. Her hand slipped in Amber's neck, holding her steady, while she brought her face closer and closer. At first, she only felt Amber's muscles tense under her hand. Then she smelled her smell. That sweet scent mixed with a hint of mint. Eventually, when she came even closer, her breath. Mintier and fresh. Eventually, she tasted her lips. Those perfectly shaped lips upon her own felt better than anything had ever felt. Her eyes closed.  
And she pulled away again. The kiss might've lasted for two seconds. She had been too nervous for it to last longer, despite the fact that she wanted more so badly. It felt like her heart was trying to break through her ribcase.  
Amber looked completely dumbfound. Her mouth was half open en her eyes wider than Krystal had ever seen them before. A strange, strangled sound came out of her mouth when she tried to say something. Quickly she cleared her throat, then started to chuckle.  
"Wow, I really didn't expect that. More something like money or something," she admitted. Krystal frowned her eyebrows. Her heart dropped. Hadn't she liked it?  
"Well you're not getting any money," she hissed. Amber laughed more. Krystal crossed her arms in front her chest and huffed. For a moment she doubted whether Amber had really lied to her, about everything. About the stuff she had told her at the roof, over her life and her background. The sweet stuff she had done to her; carrying her home, hugging her from behind and making her breakfast. Perhaps she had really just wanted her to fall for her. The ultimate test; to make someone who utterly hates you, fall in love with you. And it had worked. She suddenly started to feel very bad.  
But then Amber placed her hands on her hips. With the skill of someone who had done that many times, she pulled her closer. Their hips met each other roughly and Krystal immediately tried to get away from her. But Amber was strong, too strong, and perhaps she was still too willingly to be close to the rascal. Amber's smug grin had returned on her face. Krystal, still annoyed about the fact that she had not kissed her back, didn't look at her. It had been a 2-second-kiss, but still. She still felt a bit rejected. Amber came closer and closer, until their faces were only a few inches apart. She couldn't help but to turn her face towards her again. It was almost addicting to be so close to her. Her mind was clouded by the minty smell coming from her and she felt herself holding her breath. Her frown eased from her face, even though she didn't want it to.  
"Who said I wanted money rather than this?" she said. Her hoarse voice made Krystal's legs weak, and it was a good thing that Amber held her. When she came even closer, Krystal felt that her anger dissapeared again. She wrapped her arms around her neck, so that she wouldn't be able to pull away anymore. Now that their lips almost touched, she wanted her more than ever. She just wondered why the hell Amber took so long to kiss her.  
"You're such a tease," Krystal whispered, before she crossed that last inch and made their lips meet again. It was softer than the kiss before, which was hastier and had made their teeth clink together at the moment their lips had touched. This time, she only felt Amber's lips against hers, as two soft pillows. For a moment, they stayed like that, but Amber was the first one to move her lips over Krystal's. She heard the small kissing sound their lips made. Krystal wanted to stay steady and controlled of herself, but she noticed that the more soft kisses they shared, the needier she became. It was her who deepened the kiss, and made a moan escape out of her own mouth.  
Kissing Amber felt like she was in heaven. It was exactly right. Not too sloppy, or too much saliva, or too much tongue too quickly. It was exactly right. Amber made her feel like she was special, which — she thought — was probably how she made all those other girls feel too. And still, there was a sense of innocence between them. Not only Krystal had taken her walls down, brick by brick, but Amber too.  
They broke up when they were too much in need of oxygen, but stayed close nevertheless. Panting, they let their foreheads rested against each other. Krystal was the first who spoke.  
"Amber..." she muttered. "I am not the kind of girl who hooks up. I only kiss someone whom I really like. So if you're not willing to make this work, please, let me go now."  
It would break her heart if Amber stepped away now, but it would be for the best, she knew. She wouldn't get any happier by following Amber around like a young puppy dog which was way too in love with their owner. If Amber had really lied to her to make her fall in love with her now, she'd rather have that she broke her heart now, than lateron, when she had fallen deeper.  
Amber didn't say anything, but neither moved away. Eventually, her lips travelled to her forehead, and she pressed a kiss upon it. Krystal sighed.  
"Okay. Then we're going to try this. I don't think I can let you go anymore."


	9. Chapter eight

It only took a few days before the whole university was aware of the newest, hottest couple around. Amber Liu and Krystal Jung. They caught eyes from as well students as professors. Each of them populair in their own way.  
Amber, the troublemaker that everyone knew on campus had been tamed by a girl like Krystal Jung, one coming from a rich family and knew nothing but manners. The two girls were exactly the opposite of each other. Amber; funny, rebelish, adventurous, cheeky, daring and Krystal; toned down, rather shy, chique and refined. You would've thought that they would seek a partner whom matched their own character a bit. A girl with a fierceness written onto her for Amber, and someone who came out of the same environment as her for Krystal. But no, they had found each other, to everyone's surprise.  
The weird thing was that nobody had ever seen them interact together. For as far as their friends knew, Amber and Krystal had never seen each other outside of the university. In fact, Krystal used to hate Amber. Only a few days ago she had loudly complained about how annoying Amber Liu was, and now they were suddenly dating. It was a mystery to them what had happened to the two. But when they asked her, Krystal would only shyly laugh and look away. She wouldn't tell them.  
Amber's sudden attachment to Krystal took a lot of people aback. Quite a few girls, and guys too, had to step down after Amber had started dating Krystal. In the first few days, some of them still tried to make a move, but Amber turned them down as soon as she noticed what was going on. She was dating Krystal now, she had said, and she wouldn't be romantically or sexually involved with anyone else as long as she was dating. So they let it go, albeit a little annoyed. The two hottest girls on campus were taken now, and it was simply unbearable to watch them hold hands on steal kisses.

Krystal had known from the moment that Amber said yes to her, that they'd cause a lot of gossips, but she wasn't prepared for all the stories that went around. Suddenly, everyone on campus seemed to 'know' that they had had sex, which, in fact, wasn't true at all. That day after the kiss, Krystal had gone back with Amber to her apartment. It turned out that Scott had seen them, and had spread the rumor first, assuming that Amber had another hook up. Lateron he understood that they hadn't had sex at all, but the damage had already been done. Krystal and Amber were now the BDSM fantasies of every student on campus. Whilst Amber wasn't bothered by it, Krystal couldn't help but to worry about it.  
"Don't worry, Princess. It'll pass," Amber soothed her, when she had admitted that the rumors and gossips kind of annoyed her. Krystal laid with Amber on her bed, Jack Jack in between them. She buried her face deeper in the crook of Amber's neck and sighed, hoping that her scent and heartbeat would calm her down a bit.  
"I know. I just don't like it that everyone assumes things about us that just aren't true. It's almost as if we're celebrities. I really don't understand how you could've coped with all of this before we started dating."  
Amber just chuckled.  
"It's a matter of giving them what they want, you know. If you live up to their gossips, there's nothing to gossip about anymore."  
Krystal looked up with a look of fury in her eye.  
"So you're saying that we should have sex?" she hissed. Amber tried hard to contain her laughter and looked away. Krystal slapped her against her chest and exclaimed a loud sigh.  
But Krystal knew Amber was right. When you lived up to people's expectations, there would no longer be the need to gossip. It was only a big deal whether they had or hadn't had sex because Krystal was known as a rather prude girl, whilst Amber was like a sex goddess. But they had both agreed to wait. If they were going to turn this in something serious, Krystal didn't want to hop onto sex immediately. She didn't want their relationship all about sexual intercourse so soon and she simply wasn't ready for it yet. To be honest, it scared her a little bit. Luckily, Amber respected that, and they had quickly agreed that it would be better to wait and for now let their fans fantasize it as much as they wanted. They knew it wasn't true, and that was enough for now.

The first few weeks of their relationship was still very awkward. At least, it was for Krystal. But maybe that was also due to the fact that she hadn't had much relationships yet. Amber neither had had much relationships, but she did had experience with everything besides that. Krystal also lacked that, so this whole dating thing was basically completely new to her. The kissing, the hand holding, the hugs, the sweet 'good morning' and 'good night' texts that made her heart flutter.

Amber was so good at those stuff. She was the one who had grabbed Krystal's hand first when they were walking together through a busy shopping street. She had asked her to come along because she needed to get a gift for her mother, and Krystal — being completely sick of hiding at home and only having contact with her through texting because she was a bit scared to get caught by her family — had immediately agreed. But now that she was with the troublemaker, she felt so insecure. Amber, on the other hand, seemed to be a natural at this. She had grabbed her hand, made their finger intertwine as they walked like it was nothing. They had held hands before, but it felt different now. Knowing that Amber wanted to hold hands as much as her made her even more nervous. If Amber wanted to hold her hands, then she'd also want to kiss her, and hug her, and go out with her. And as much as Krystal wanted that too, she just had to get used to the whole dating thing. It was kind of overwhelming all out of a sudden. Frightening even.

But Amber, being the perfect girlfriend like she is, had already felt that some steps were going too fast for Krystal, and had at first just started with texts. Waking her up with something cheeky like 'Yah! Princess! Wake up!' and making her drift off to sleep with a smile on her face after something like 'Good night, babe ;) Dream of me!'. It was honestly adorable. Sometimes their conversations lasted until deep in the night and Krystal found herself laughing more at her phone than not.  
At the university they had both abandoned their group of friends to spend their common breaks together. Usually on a somewhat more quiet place, where they ate their lunch together and just talked, accompanied with some flirting. Krystal's friends would make comments about it afterwards, how love drunk she was and how they had never seen her before like this. Krystal simply shrugged at that. She couldn't help it.

The holding hands came after that. It was scary to walk in public with her whilst holding hands, but after a few minutes she eventually became used to it. Her fear turned rather soon into pride. Amber was her girlfriend and everyone was allowed to know.  
But it took a long time before Krystal was okay with being kissed in public. A small kiss on the forehead or cheek usually wasn't that bad, as long as no one looked, but a full on kiss that made her head spin and her heart beat so fast that she was afraid that she was going to get a heart attack was still a bit too much.  
Whenever she was at Amber's apartment — which had turned into her second home — she was all fine with whatever they did. The kissing, the hugs, the hand holding was all fine. She was not scared when it was just the two of us. In fact, Amber had once described her as pretty clingy.  
But as soon as they got outside, Krystal got shy again, and she had trouble with making herself at ease. When she had told Amber about why she couldn't kiss her in public yet — because she felt that Amber needed to know — the older girl chuckled softly, and carassed her cheek with her hands.   
"Don't worry about that, okay? As long as you like me, and I like you, it doesn't matter to me how long it takes before you're comfertable. I want to make you happy when you're with me, and pressuring you into something you're afraid to do is not something that describes an ideal date, does it?"  
She chuckled afterwards and kissed Krystal on her forehead. Krystal sighed relieved.  
From that time on they started to go out more. Their movie dates at Amber's place turned into real dates. Going out for dinner or to the cinema. Walking hand in hand through the park. Once, she took her to the highest building, so that they could enjoy the view over the city. Another time to an aquarium, where they had the funniest time posing with the fish.

Amber introduced her to her mother even before she had ever been over at Krystal's place. Actually, it had been an accident. At a lazy Sunday afternoon they had laid together on Amber's bed, watching a movie but the greatest deal of the time making out.  
Sunday was usually the day Amber would go over at her mother's place, or her mother would come to hers. But since Krystal had come over, Amber had completely forgotten that she and her mother were supposed to go out for dinner together today.  
So at the moment their lips were hooked, they heard the lock from the front door click. The door creaked when her mother pushed it open and stepped into the room. As fast as they could, they tried to get away from each other, but Mrs. Liu's eyes were good enough. By the frowning of her brows Krystal could tell that they had been busted. Mrs. Liu crossed her arms, whilst the two adolescents got up from their beds and shamefully walked over her. Krystal immediately wanted to get her coat, but Amber grabbed her wrist and kept her besides her.  
Mrs. Liu watched them with squinted eyes. She was the kind of woman that reminded Krystal of her homeroom teacher back at high school. A tiny woman, a straight back and an attitude that said not to fuck with her. With strict dark eyes and her lips pressed together to a thin line, she observed both girls. She already noticed that Amber had her eye colour from her mother. She wore clothing similiar to Krystal's mother. Stylish expensive clothing that made her look like she actually had a say into her husband's company. The classy wife.   
"Mom!" the brat chimed. "I had completely forgot that you'd be coming today!"  
"Clearly," her mother sighed.   
"But I want you to introduce you to Krystal. She's my girlfriend, mom."   
Krystal stood next to her, resembling a statue. She couldn't move or speak or do anything, only wait the for the nerve wrecking approvement.  
As soon as Amber said that, the frown left Mrs. Liu's forehead. Instead, she started to glow with pride. Her eyes went from Amber to Krystal and back again. For a moment, all she could do was stare at them, then she started to squeel.  
"Is this true?" she asked. Amber laughed and let her fingers intertwine with Krystal's. She held up their hands and grinned.  
"It is, mom!" Amber said happily. The two Liu's hugged each other, and when they were done, Mrs. Liu hugged Krystal too. She placed her warm hands upon Krystal's cheeks, rubbing with her thumb over her delicate skin. The woman looked at her like she was the best thing in the world, and all she could do was laugh nervously.  
"My dear, you are so pretty. How did Amber ever get a girl like you?"   
Krystal chuckled shyly and pointed her gaze at the ground.  
"Hey!" Amber obliged. "I'm handsome enough!"  
Mrs. Liu turned around to her daughter and rolled her eyes.  
"You are pretty too but dear Krystal here is way out of your league. You should cherish her!"  
Amber ducked in advance when her mother held up her hand to slap her daughter and laughed. Mrs. Liu sighed and turned back to Krystal.  
"I'll make sure Amber takes good care of you, okay, honey? If she ever treats you less than royalty you come to me, deal?"   
Krystal smiled and nodded.  
"I will."  
"Don't you two go conspiring behind my back!" Amber yelled. Now both of them turned around to her and shushed her. Amber drooped off like a kicked puppy, sat down on the ground and started to play with Tuna instead, leaving them. Krystal chuckled softly at her petty behaviour. It was cute. Krystal made a mental note that she'd cheer her up later with a few kisses.  
"But, my love, don't you look familiar? Have I seen you somewhere before?" Mrs. Liu asked. Krystal turned back to her and frowned a bit.  
"I don't think I have ever met you, ma'am," she said softly. Mrs. Liu pursed her lips and took a good look at her face then sighed.  
"She's Charlie's daughter," Amber said, from her place on the ground. She had the cat on her shoulders, and Jack Jack had curled up on her lap. Mrs. Liu's eyes shot open.  
"Now you say so. You have his nose!" she exclaimed. "Oh, I feel ashamed. That I didn't immediately recognize one of Charles's daughters. Oh, Jacob needs to know about this! Who would've thought that our two families would be connected even more?"

So that night, not only Mrs. Liu knew about her daughter dating Krystal Jung, but also Mr. Liu. The following day, she got a text of Amber that her father and mother liked to invite her for dinner. Krystal, being the nervous wreck that she was when it came to things like these, started to worry from the moment Amber had texted her. The outfit wasn't even the biggest problem, because she owned a large collection of formal dresses and outfits. She'd only have to pick a pretty black dress and go to the Liu mansion. She was more afraid of what Mr. Liu would say. At the conference she had seen small glimpses of Jacob Liu and she had immediately noticed that his daughter had her joking behaviour from her dad. Would he joke about their relationship, or about her? Would he tell her father before she was ready to?  
Amber and Krystal had waited to tell Mr. Jung because Krystal couldn't handle it yet. Whilst Mr. and Mrs. Liu had already accepted their daughters sexuality, Krystal still had trouble coming out. Only her friends knew she was bisexual and she reckoned that Jessica had some suspections. But her father and mother still kept only recommending cute boys to her, so she thought that they didn't have an idea about their daughters stronger preference for the same sex. She reckoned that if she introduced Amber as her girlfriend, they'd either comment that she could've also dated a boy because Amber is quite masculine, or that they'd accept both of them immediately, mostly due to the fact that Amber came from a rich family too, would probably make quite some money later as well and was the daughter of her father's best friend. But she couldn't predict her parents' reaction, and she was quite afraid about it.  
Amber's family was so much easier because they already knew about their daughter's preference, and probably too about her previous life style. Perhaps that's why Mrs. Liu reacted so enthusiastically when Amber introduced Krystal as her girlfriend, because it had been a while since her daughter had fallen for someone. They'd be happy to see her. But Krystal feared for Mr. Liu's big mouth.

Still, Krystal dressed herself well that night. She had chosen for a sleeveless white dress, since white was still a colour that was seen as a pure colour. It reached half past her upper thighs. With white flats — since she'd otherwise be taller than Mr. Liu — and her hair falling in loose curls over her shoulders, she let herself be driven to the Liu house.  
The door was flung open before she could even ring the bell. A grinning Mr. Liu stood in front of her, complete in a suit and his hair brought up.  
"Krystal! So nice that you could agree to my spontanious idea. Please, come in, you must be cold."  
In fact, she was very warm, but she just smiled and nodded. Mr. Liu stepped aside to let her in. As soon as she set a foot into the hal,l she was surrounded by the warmth of the mansion. She already noticed that the Liu's liked to have the temperature of their house up high, and she'd probably be very warm tonight.  
The mansion's hall was already the size of a normal person's living room, perhaps even bigger. The house was build largely, with a high ceiling that was supported by big pillars, decorated in the style of the old Greeks. There was an enormous chandelier hanging on the ceiling, providing the needed light that was normally provided by the sun that shone through the large windows. The walls were white, and from the hall were two stairs that led up to the first etage. The floor was made of matt black marble. The black and white was found back into the pillars and the railing of the stairs, as well as the carpets on the floor and the small coffee table which was covered in several sets of keys, a backpack that looked very similiar to Amber's and a handbag. There was a bordeaux red vase holding white flowers.  
Mr. Liu took her coat from her.  
"I'll give you a tour through the house lateron. I reckon you must be very hungry, so dinner has already been prepared!" he said brightly. Krystal smiled back to him and nodded. Mr. Liu took her to the dining room. They crossed the living room, and she managed to get a quick look at it. An enormous corner sofa in the far end of the room, pointed towards an enormous flat screen on a smaller table. The wall behind it was completely made of windows, so that you could either look at the TV or at the enormous estate that went along with the mansion from the couch. Another coffee table on a simple white carpet. There was a small mini bar and a few bookcases, filled with books that went from the laws of taxation to children's books, which Amber and her older sister had probably been read from when they had still been young.  
They entered the dining room. It was smaller than the living room and the hall, probably a place in the house that was a bit cozier. The walls were dark grey, the ground still of black marble. There was a mahogany wooden table in the middle of the room, with 8 chairs in total. At the far end of the room was another door. It was rather simple, but better than the rest of the house. Krystal didn't like it when houses were too large for people to live in. Despite growing up in a similiar house, she had always preferred smaller places. That's why she also liked Amber's place so much.  
Mrs. Liu, Amber's sister Jackie and Amber were waiting for them already, each dressed as formally as Krystal. She couldn't help but to let her eyes wander to Amber first. Instead of letting her hair down, she had brought it up, just like her father had. She wore a white blouse, buttoned up to her throat which she had tucked in black pants, held up by a black belt. She had to admit that it was rather sexy and that she'd rather be anywhere but here right now. A good make out session would be okay. It didn't happen often that your girlfriend looked at hot as that. Well, she was always attractive, but not in a kind of style Krystal really loved. Amber, despite her disagreeing opinion, looked the best in formal clothing.  
Mrs. Liu and Jackie both wore dresses too, despite them being black unlike Krystal's white dress.  
"Ah, good to see you again, my dear!" Mrs. Liu chimed. "Please sit down next to me."  
Krystal and Amber's eyes met for a moment before she nodded towards Mrs. Liu and smiled. Krystal had actually wanted to sit down next to her girlfriend, but she wasn't able to tell Mrs. Liu no, and therefor sat down next to her because of that. Amber was right in front of her, and Jackie next to her little sister. Mr. Liu took his place at the head of the table, on Krystal's right hand.  
He grinned widely, and lifted his arms for a moment. Mr. Liu let his eyes go from the four women in the room.  
"My family," he muttered. Krystal couldn't help but to bite her lip. They sure moved fast in the Liu family.  
"Dad.." Amber mumbled. The girl gave her father a critical look and her father seemed to have realized his mistake. He cleared his throat.  
"Oh, oh right. I'm just happy to see everyone together, that's all," he quickly added. Amber rolled her eyes and Jackie chuckled. Mrs. Liu sighed at her husbands enthusiasm.  
"Dinner is ready, honey?" she asked him. Mr. Liu nodded.  
"Yes, yes, Henry said it was ready when we were. Jackie, will you please give him a signal that we're ready to start?"  
Jackie stood up from the table and walked through the other door, her footsteps dissapearing rapidly. As soon as the door fell shut, Mr. Liu turned towards Krystal. His cheeky grin has returned onto his face. Krystal saw Amber frown from the corner of her eyes.  
"Soooo, Krystal. You know, I'm just incredibly curious how my daughter ended up with you. Only two months ago, you seemed to loathe my daughter at that conference party. Now, I'm just so excited to hear the story about how you two fell for each other," he said. Krystal shot Amber a look. Her girlfriend shrugged, sighed and ran with her hand through her hair.  
"Well, it started when-" Amber started, but Jacob Liu shushed his daughter right away.  
"I want to hear it from Krystal. I know all of your tricks already," he said, without turning his gaze away from Krystal. "I want to know, how Krystal felt."   
Krystal laughed nervously and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.  
"Well, I indeed loathed her," she admitted.  
Krystal started to tell about the roof and that day after.


	10. Chapter nine

Half past the story, Jackie returned from the kitchens, together with two employees. They carried in the food whilst Krystal was talking. She didn't skip a single detail. At first explaining how she felt about Amber, in which she often got an offended 'Hey! I'm not like that' from her girlfriend. Krystal would simply shoot her a loving gaze and chuckle, before heading on with her story. She told them how she had gone with her father to the conference that day and that she hadn't wanted to dance with Amber in the first place. But eventually, she had let Amber talk her into the idea of getting out of the party — Mrs. Liu clacked disapprovingly with her tongue — and they had roamed through the streets for a while. Eventually they came to the part of the roof. Krystal hesitated then. Eventually, she decided not to tell them everything.  
"We just simply sat there for a while, gazing over the city, until we almost fell asleep. Amber took me back to her place because it would take us too long to get back to the party, let alone my house."  
"Don't you only have one bed?" Jackie asked. She squinted her eyes at her sister and shot her a knowing gaze. Amber looked away and tried hard not to laugh. Krystal placed her hand in front of her mouth and giggled.  
"Yes, but we were too tired to think about that," she said. Jackie turned her gaze to Krystal and raised her eyebrows questioningly.  
"I know my sister. She thought about it at least a dozen times, maybe even more."  
Amber slapped her older sister and huffed.  
"I'm not that perverted, you know!" she hissed. Jackie started to laugh.  
"Damn, you changed now you got a girlfriend. You usually didn't mind it when I said that to the girls you banged, but now all out of a sudden I can't even embarass you anymore without you snapping at me," said Jackie. Amber rolled her eyes and started to play with her food, turning away from her sister.  
"And, what happened after that?" asked Mr. Liu.  
"Well, I woke up and Amber was gone. She left a note that she had to go to the university for a special appointment. I even had to walk Jack Jack," she laughed. Amber chuckled softly. "I eventually went to the university too, to kick her ass for leaving me, when I found her at the theatre. She basically sang a self-composed love song to me then. We went back stage and we -"  
Krystal didn't even have to complete her story, because Jackie started to make all kind of exagerate kissing noises. Amber slapped her sister across the arm, but the wouldn't budge.  
"Ah stop it!" her girlfriend whined.  
"Do you want to tell me that that's not what you two did? A passionate make-out session?" laughed Jackie. Krystal turned her gaze to her plate and hoped that no one would see her-  
"Look even Krystal is blushing!"  
"JACKIE!" Amber yelled. The two sisters started a loud discussion that was incomprehensible for anyone that didn't participate. They started to yell through each other, Jackie rather laughingly and Amber quite mad. Her girlfriend made large hand gestures and she heard quite often a few swear words come out of her mouth, but that was literally the only thing she understood. Sometimes, Krystal was able to understand a string of words, but because they talked so fast and through each other, she was overal not able to understand where they even were argueing about. Amber really seemed to be seriously pissed, whilst Jackie was constantly laughing; she probably loved to embarass her little sister so much until the point where Amber was really getting annoyed. Krystal, Mr. and Mrs. Liu watched in amusement at the loud discussion of the two siblings. Eventually, Mrs. Liu shushed them.  
"Yes, yes, we've heard you. Jackie, leave your sister alone. I'm pretty sure she'll give you a black eye if you go on like that," Mrs. Liu sighed. The two sisters tried to keep argueing, but Mr. Liu cleared his throat. They shot each another a foul look, and eventually turned back to their dinner. Amber still muttered under her breath that Jackie shouldn't embarass her or Krystal in front of their parents. Jackie chuckled in response.

As soon as the main course was served — smoked salmon with a stuffed paprika and a whole bunch of vegetables — Mr. Liu started to talk about how he and his wife had met each other, in reaction to Krystal's tale. Eventually, when the silence fell, she noticed that Amber and Jackie were still not interacting. Amber was stubbornly pricking with her fork in the salmon, taking it apart piece by piece.  
Krystal kicked her girlfriend from under the table. When she looked up, she shot her a warning gaze and nodded with her head towards Jackie. Amber frowned her eyebrows and shook her head. Krystal kicked again, harder this time. Amber looked angrily back. She chuckled.  
"Please?" said Krystal. 'Reward', she mouthed afterwards. Amber's face changed immediately; the frown dissapeared right away. Her eyes shot open, at first a little suspicious, but when Krystal nodded to confirm that she had seen it well, her suspicion turned into disbelief. Eventually, a smug little smile appeared on her face, that made both of them giggle.  
"Fine!" she sighed, before turning towards her sister. "I'm sorry, Jackie."  
Jackie looked up, actually surprised about her sister's attitude. In disbelief, she looked at her younger sibling. Then, she sighed.  
"Really man, you're so whipped. You would've never apologized to me if it wasn't for Krystal," she said, whilst shaking her head. Amber shrugged, still smiling very smugly.  
"I don't care!" she said. Amber placed both of her hands behind her head.  
"That's the spirit!" Mr. Liu said. "You just like me and your mother; whenever she tells me to do something, I oblige too."  
Mrs. Liu shot him a foul look.  
"Then how come you never clean the house when I ask you to, hmm?"  
"Ah woman, I'm busy making money!" Mr. Liu chuckled. His wife rolled with her eyes. Krystal smiled shyly, listening along to the adults' conversation. She stayed silent, and ate the rest of the vegetables. It was rather awkward to be here with the Liu's: Mr. and Mrs. Liu seemed to have a conversation with each other ninety percent of the time and Jackie and Amber were still bickering.

When the desert entered — a delicious scoop of vanilla ice cream and various types of tropical fruits sprinkled with dark chocolate — Jackie bowed down to Amber to whisper something in her little sister's ear. Amber immediately got a huge dork-ish grin on her face. Krystal, who hadn't seen any of it, just nibbled on a piece of ice cream, letting it melt in her mouth while she listened to Mr. Liu complaining about his company. She often listened to father when he talked about Jung Internationals, so she knew the little tricks and the slang often used in the company. It was not hard to understand Mr. Liu too, and she even gave him some advice, which he seemed to take in much concern. Krystal felt happy that she could be of use, because staring silently at her desert made her feel hollow and rather awkward inside.  
At a certain moment, she suddenly felt a foot touch hers. Krystal, who had wanted to take the spoon from the scoop to her mouth, stopped. She stiffened; her breath got stuck in her throat. At first it were just the toes who had touched — which was rather unusual because Krystal often kept her legs close to her chair — but rather soon the whole of their feet touched. Krystal, at first panicking that it would be anyone else but her girlfriend, quickly looked up to the others. Mr. Liu seemed to be in deep conversation with Mrs Liu, so she doubted it would be any of them. And if so, that would be rather pervy. That left Jackie or Amber. It could be Jackie, since the older sister had been teasing her all night already. It would be the ultimate joke to make her blush more or to make her extra uncomfertable. But Jackie was busy texting on her phone, and had crossed her legs over each other. Her legs would be too short to touch hers now. That left Amber. Luckily.  
Krystal slipped out of her ballerinas and slowly returned the favor. She kept her eyes straight on her ice cream, but she saw Amber move a bit from across the table from the corner of her eyes. Their feet moved over each other. Krystal couldn't help to smile; she had always regarded playing footsie with someone as rather cute.

The scoops were eventually taken away, and as a last closure of the dinner, the employees brought everyone a cup of coffee. Krystal and Amber were still playing footsie. It had almost turned casual. Krystal was able to listen to Mr. Liu without even feeling guilty whilst she touched Amber.  
Amber bowed down to whisper something in Jackie's ear. Krystal noticed it this time, but she was too busy to listen to Mr. Liu that she paid it much thought. But at the same moment, Amber's foot started to slide upwards. Krystal blinked in confusement when Amber's foot left hers and travelled upwards over her shinbone. She tried hard to make eye contact with Amber, but the girl wouldn't look in her direction. Instead, she was sipping her coffee, whilst peeking over Jackie's shoulder to look at her phone, sometimes chuckling softly.  
Amber's foot passed her knee and started on her thigh. Krystal's cheeks turned a deep shade of red. Desperately she tried to gain Amber's attention when clearing her throat, but the only thing she got was an 'Bless you' from Mrs. Liu. When Amber's foot marked her inner thigh and she tried to lift her cup from the saucer she felt that her hands were shaking. She looked up to Amber and wished she would take her foot away. But she knew her girlfriend; Amber would not take her foot away until Krystal called out for it. But she couldn't tell her to stop. How would Mr. and Mrs. Liu think of her when she asked Amber to 'take her foot away from that very sensitive spot near my vagina'? She'd rather die before she would ask her that.  
So Amber's foot stayed, and it set her off more by the minute. Eventually she was not able to hold her cup anymore without spilling coffee over herself. Her body was shaking. Amber simply continued. She turned slow circles on her inner thigh. At first, her foot had still been near to her knee, which was bearable, but as time passed, she moved her foot up over her leg inch by inch.  
Krystal was a rather sensitive girl, which she had already noticed in her previous relationship with men. They used to be rather rough-handed, and Krystal just wasn't the girl who could handle that. She liked the softness and tenderness of Amber, even though she at first hadn't know that Amber was even able to be sweet. But her girlfriend had proved that she respected Krystal's bounderies and wasn't into her for her body only. Sure, they were handsy sometimes, and Amber let her hands travel a bit too far below her waist, but when Krystal corrected her, she usually took her hand away. They had never done anything that was sexual yet. She hadn't let Amber touch her thighs yet, and now she teasing her by turning circles on her inner thigh, close to her center. She could feel her body growing hotter. Krystal even caught herself that she opened her legs a little more. It was diffecult to breath. Oh, how ashamed she was.  
"Are you okay, dear?" Mrs. Liu eventually asked. "You're shaking, are you cold?"  
Krystal shook her head.  
"I-I just have to-.. Could you excuse me for a moment, I need to go to the bathroom," she stuttered.  
"Ah, of course, my dear. Through the door, go right, at the end of the corridor another right. There are the toilets."  
Krystal quickly stood up with an apologetic smile on her face. Oh, how her legs shaked. She had to hold herself onto the table not to fall back onto her seat. Her cheeks started to burn even more when she felt how much it throbbed between her legs when she stood up.  
She quickly made it out of the room, her lower belly still tingling and the hint of Amber's foot still near her crotch. Fuck she thought. Really though, when the dinner would be over and she'd be alone with Amber, she'd defenitely make her pay good.  
When she arrived at the toilet, she immediately locked it. There was this enormous mirror. She saw her red cheeks, the tiny drops of sweat near her brows that had formed when she so desperately tried to keep a straight face. Her hand slipped under her dress and into her panties — just in case. Her mouth dropped when she felt how wet she actually was. Fuu-huuck. Why did this have to happen to her?  
Quickly she took her hand back and adjusted her dress, as if she could take her arousement away if she just ignored it. She walked over to the sink and washed her hands, then splashed some water in her face and in her neck. She felt hot and embarassed and infuriated that Amber made her feel this way in front of her parents.  
She took a few moments to re-capture herself. Eventually, Krystal walked back to the dining room. Her little trip to the toilets had taken her way too long; longer than a normal person would take to pee. She found that she cared about that too. Would it be weird if she stayed away that long? Would Amber's parents have noticed or were they still too busy talking with each other to care about her?  
Krystal pushed the door back open to the dining hall and stepped in, immediately pointing her gaze at the ground. She had hoped that her entrance wouldn't have caused much havoc, but being the honoured guest of the dinner, she could've known that everyone would quit talking as soon as she entered.

Mr. Liu stood up from his chair when he saw her come in and opened his arms in an inviting way.  
"Since we're all done with dinner now, I thought I'd give you a tour around the house. You must be very tired after that, so Amber will bring you home."  
Krystal nodded silently. Mr. Liu walked over to her and went in front of her to discover the enormous mansion. Mrs. Liu and Jackie stayed behind, but Amber joined their little group too. Whilst Mr. Liu bubbly babbled about how the house was built, Krystal shot Amber a foul look. Her girlfriend pretended not to notice, but started to chuckle nevertheless. When Amber wanted to grab her hand, Krystal pulled hers back and sighed annoyedly; she hadn't forgiven her yet about turning her on in front of her father. She still was quite turned on and it pissed her the hell off.  
They went through the whole house. Every room was shown to her. It took her some effort to show excitement at the rooms Amber's father showed her. Some were indeed quite impressive or beautiful, but it often stopped there. The rooms were empty, not at all messy. Structured. Even Amber's old bedroom, which she had thought would be just as messy as her apartment. It was almost saddening how neat it was. But Mr. Liu seemed to be extremely proud that he had created the perfect house, and Krystal kept nodding and smiling and tagging along with him. She eventually let Amber hold her hand, because she simply needed someone to hold on if this tour was going to last any longer.  
They eventually came back at the hall again and Mr. Liu got her her coat. Thankfully she took it from him and put it on. Amber also got her leather jacket and picked out a bunch of keys from the coffee table.  
"Thank you for the dinner, sir," thanked Krystal Mr. Liu. Amber's father huffed and laughed, waving her 'thank you' away with his hand.  
"Everything for Charlie's daughter and my daughter's girlfriend. Just call me Jacob," he said. Krystal chuckled softly and shook his hand.  
"I hope we see each other often. I had a good time," Krystal said. Amber started to chuckle and had to wrap her hand in front of her mouth to keep hersel from bursting out in laughter. Both Jacob Liu and Krystal looked weirdly at her, but decided not to give it any mind. They said their good-bye's and Mr. Liu opened the doors for them. Thankfully, Krystal waved another time when they left the house together.  
"Seriously I never know which keys belong to which car," Amber muttered softly, while she tried to push on the buttons of the car keys to make one of the cars on the front porch bleep. Eventually a black sport car's lights went on. Amber started to grin.  
"Ah, my favourite!" she said.  
They both got into the car; Amber behind the wheel and Krystal at the by passenger seat. Amber turned on the engine. The car started to pur like a new born kitten, only so softly that it was barely audible. When her girlfriend pushed the throttle, the car shot foreward faster than they expected. Both girls exclaimed a little yelp when they rushed off the grounds that belonged to the mansion. Amber pushed on the break too enthusiastically, causing the car to almost stop immediately again. They were saved by their seat belts otherwise they defenitely would've hit their heads. Krystal huffed, turned to her girlfriend and pushed a strand of hair out of her face.  
"Let me drive," she breathed. Amber shook her head, a little out of breath.  
"No, I know it now."  
"Do you even have your driving license?" objected Krystal. Amber chuckled nervously.  
"Only for a few weeks," she admitted.  
"Oh great."  
Krystal huffed, and crossed her arms in front of her chest. As if this day wasn't bad enough to bear with already. It had been already quite a job to deal with her awkward self, since she lacked a rather important skill that made sure that an conversation kept on rolling. She just had so much troubles with asking questions and staying interested that this evening had been ruined by Krystal's lack of being able to ask questions. On top of that Amber liked to embarass her by turning her on right in front of her parents. And if that wasn't enough, she'd probably die by Amber's hand because she couldn't drive a car properly. Really, this evening had turned out so well, she thought sarcastically.  
In the mean time, Amber had managed to get a hand of the car. They turned onto the high way without much diffeculty. Once there, her girlfriend let the car have its way and let it speed up until a speed that was rather dangerous. Still, she sat with her legs slightly spread and one hand on the wheel, humming softly the melody of Need to feel needed, the song she had sung to Krystal on the day of their first kiss. It had become their song, but Krystal couldn't find herself singing right now. It was too cheesy for her current mood.  
"Shall I take you home?" Amber asked eventually. Krystal shook her head immediately. With her arms still crossed in front of her chest and her lips slightly pouted, she gave off a I-won't-go-home-no-matter-what vibe that made Amber chuckle softly. She looked up to the brunette for a moment, letting her eyes rest on her face for a moment. Not too long though, because she had to keep her eyes on the road.  
"Wanna go to my place?" Amber asked. Krystal pretended to doubt, but she had known the answer to that question from the moment Amber's foot had touched her inner thigh.  
"Yes."  
They would go to Amber's apartment and Krystal was determined to stay the night there. Amber sped up even more and turned the car around to go the opposite way.

It took them ten minutes to reach Amber's apartment building, five minutes earlier than if she had driven at a normal speed. Neither of them had spoken during the drive, which caused Krystal's mind to go back to the dinner and Amber's foot near her-... Sometimes she was just a hopeless mess of hormones.  
Amber parked the car in front the building. Krystal still wondered if she wouldn't get in trouble if she didn't return it to her father this evening, but Amber seemed not to be bothered by that. When Krystal had gotten out too, she pushed on one of the buttons of the key of the car, and the lock clicked shut.  
Amber extended her hand to her and Krystal took hold of it a little restrained; she was still mad at her. They walked upstairs to Amber's apartment quietly, not to wake the other residents. The lights were already off, which idicated that the other denizens would not be glad to hear them talk loudly. It wasn't like Krystal was in the mood anyway.  
They reached Amber's apartment and got in. Immediately they were met by excited barking and miauwing from Amber's pets. Jack Jack came running towards them and started to jump around their legs. Even Tuna came to take a look at her owner, miauwed again and then rubbed her head against Krystal's leg. She and Tuna had always gotten along better. Sometimes it felt like Tuna liked her more than Amber. But her girlfriend would never notice that, because she got enough attention from Jack Jack, and gave Jack Jack enough attention back in return.  
"Are you sleepy?" Amber asked. Krystal shook her head again. She exchanged a look with Amber. There was incomprehension in her eyes; she didn't understand why Krystal was being like this, all quiet and mysterious. It was funny to play with her like that. It was a small comfort for her that she was able to play with her like that; like paying her back because of the trick she had pulled last night  
"No, I just want you to shut your mouth."  
Amber's eyes shot up questioningly, almost hurted. Her eyebrows frowned together on her face and her lips slightly parted. Krystal, being slightly amused at her reaction, walked over to her and smiled slightly. She got hold of Amber's tie and pulled her roughly closer. Because of her flats, Amber was taller than her again. She let their lips meet passionately for a moment, then pulled back.  
"I want you to shut your mouth and kiss me."


	11. Chapter ten

Amber's eyes were wide with confusement when Krystal bowed back down again. Unlike the taller girl, Krystal smiled smugly this time. It slowly started to occur to Amber that she had been played, like a fool who didn't know any better. A small smile appeared on her girlfriend's face when she finally understood. Krystal knew she'd get her way. She always got her way with Amber when it came to little quarrels like this. A kiss or a pout or some blinking of her eyes and she already had wrapped her girlfriend around her little finger.  
"Your wish is my command," joked Amber, before pressing her lips passionately upon Krystal's. She couldn't help to let out a little moan in the process, not expecting Amber to go full-on passion right away. Perhaps she had sensed Krystal's mood for a kiss like that. Or perhaps she was just as needy as she was. It didn't matter.  
Their lips collided and Krystal felt how her lower belly started to tingle again of excitement. Automatically, she let herself drape her arms around Amber's neck, deepening the kiss by intertwining her fingers at the base of her hair and pulling her closer. Amber had wrapped her arms around her waist. A tap on her lower lips made Krystal open her mouth, and Amber's tongue slid in. A small moan left her mouth from the back of her throat and it actually startled her how easy Amber could make her moan already. Let alone when they'd actually have sexual intercourse.  
They were struggling between french kissing and breathing. It was hard to do both so they had to break apart sometimes, something none of them wanted. It only would last a couple of seconds before one of them got too needy again and started kissing again. In fact, it didn't take long before Krystal's back hit the wall and Amber was hovering over her, her body pressed up against Krystal's and her hips grinding up against her in a way that made her loose her mind.  
Amber's mouth traveled from her mouth over to her cheek and eventually to her jawline. Krystal cocked her head a bit, so that she'd have more access. The kisses in her neck made her back arch and her fingers claw for grip. Her legs felt like cooked spaghetti; flubbery and unsteady. A kiss here, a bit of tongue there. It made goosebumps appear all over her body. She felt needier by the second, even though Amber gave her more and more. A gasp left her mouth when she suddenly felt Amber bite down. Her fingers curled around her hair. Nibbling onto the sensitive skin, Amber made a rush of pleasure go through her body that Krystal hadn't expected. She had never gotten a hickey before and had always thought of it as rather uncomfertable, because it would hurt. In fact, it only hurted for a few seconds, after that it would be so much more than that. Eventually Amber let go, and kissed the same spot a few times to make the stinging feeling go away. Krystal let out a soft moan.  
"Krystal..." Amber muttered. "We should stop."  
Their mouths met again and Krystal could not possibly think why it would be a good idea to stop. No one had ever made her feel so lively, so needy, so turned on until Amber right now. She had never understood why people would let themselves lead by lust. To her, she had never quite lived without controlling her own life. But now, she was ready to let everything go. It didn't matter anymore. Krystal had wanted to wait, but she really didn't feel like that anymore. It didn't matter that their first time wouldn't be perfect, it mattered that it was with Amber. And she wanted it so badly now.  
"N-no," managed Krystal to get out of her mouth in between the kisses. "I still... need... to pay... you back be-... because of... the dinner."  
Amber grinned against her lips, immediately understanding what she was trying to say. Her arms twirled around her waist again and with little effort, lifted her up. Her back hit the wall again, causing her to let out that moan she had been holding, and Amber's hands placed themselves around her upper legs to support her. Krystal wrapped her arms and legs tightly around Amber. This time it was Krystal who brought in her tongue first.  
Amber moved her from the wall and softly dropped her onto the bed. Their lips were apart for only a few seconds, until Amber hovered over her again and continued where she left off. Back to her neck again, this time the other side.  
"Tell me to stop.." Amber hissed in her ear. "-or I won't be able to anymore. I want our first time to be perfect."  
Krystal wrapped her arms even closer around her girlfriend, barely able to process her words. She was too far gone for that now.  
"It was foolish to think I would want anything more than you," pushed Krystal out of her mouth. It was hard to speak at this moment with any more moans and gasps coming out of her mouth.  
"Don't stop," she added. "Never stop."  
At the moment Amber bit down again, her fingers started to fumble with the buttons of her blouse. With great diffeculty she was able to unbutton them piece by piece, button by button. Amber soothed the sore spot by letting the tip of her tongue slowly run over it. Finally she had gotten tot he base of the shirt and she quickly made Amber get out of it. It left her in her black sports bra. Their mouths met and their fingers tried to get each other as soon as possible out of their clothing. Amber's hand were zipping the zipper from her dress down on her back whilst Krystal tugged desperately at the button of Amber's pants. Amber, having more skills than she had, had gotten her faster out of her dress than she had managed to unbutton her pants. The dress was thrown on the ground and after Amber had helped her with her pants, the trousers were too. This morning she hadn't thought a single bit about choosing her lingerie carefully, causing her black bra not to match with her blue underwear. She doubted Amber would even notice too, because she was constantly buried in her neck. At this moment, Krystal had trouble breathing, so much she wanted her.  
It was colder without her dress, and suddenly she noticed how bare skinned she actually was. Amber had never seen her in just her underwear. Sure, they had changed clothes with each other a few times. It was no surprise to see each other in their lingerie, but it still felt new. This time they didn't just casually change clothes. This time the also had to take off her lingerie. It excited her both as much as it scared her.  
She wrapped her arms tighter around Amber's waist, not ever wanting to let them go. Their hips crashed together which sent a jolt of electricity through Krystal's body. Even that small of a thing made her back arch up with lust for the other girl. Every small touch of Amber made goosebumps appear on those places. She was vaguely aware that it was happening: that tonight would be the night they'd have sex for the first time together. Her heart was beating like crazy because of it.

Amber's hips grinded over hers, building up pleasure already with only such simple movements. Krystal moaned during their kisses and sometimes she caught Amber moaning back. She couldn't recall that she had ever heard something sexier in her life. Their tongues found each other again, but it only took a few moments before Amber pulled back and started back onto her neck. When the tip of her tongue came to the place she had created a hickey only a few minutes ago, Krystal gasped at how sensitive it felt. Amber circled around it for a moment, teasing, soothing it, then continued her way down. This time, she didn't stop at her collar bone. In fact, she lowered further down until her lips eventually met her breasts. Krystal threw her head backwards and let her fingers curl in Amber's hair again. When her lips met the edge of her bra, she stopped.  
"Do you want to take it off?"  
Amber's voice was hoarse and cracked, almost like she had smoked a whole packed of sigarets straight away. It was deeper and huskier than it normally was and also that small detail contributed to Krystal's burning desire. And she almost immediately wanted to agree to let Amber take her bra off because of that voice. That voice was enough to drive a girl right over the edge already. But then she came to think of it... Krystal had never taken her bra off before during sexual intercourse. In the past, she used to have a few boyfriends, one of which she had also had sex with and back then she had insisted on leaving her bra on. But she had been seventeen back then and rather insecure about her body. She still was, but somehow, with Amber, it felt like it wouldn't matter a single bit how her breasts looked or how they didn't look. Now that she came to think of it, Amber probably was used to girls taking their bras off, perhaps they even did it before Amber was able to. She couldn't deny that she felt nervous because of that pressure. But she was Amber's girlfriend. They had dated succesfully for two months already and Amber hadn't dated any of those other girls. If she wouldn't accept her for who she was now, she'd rather end this relationship right here and now. So she nodded.  
"Please," she muttered. It amazed her how high and squeeky her own voice sounded. So... needy.  
Amber moved upwards for a few short moments to place a long kiss upon her lips, whilst her hands slid underneath Krystal's back and unclipped her bra with the skill of someone who had done that many times before. When it came undone, she took it off slowly. Krystal had no time to take a look at her expression, because Amber started off immediately where she had left again.

Krystal moaned her name. At first she only hovered over her naked breasts, only breathing. Her breath alone made her nipples erect; she could feel it. Krystal thought she was prepared for the feeling that Amber's mouth would bring, but gosh, she was so, so wrong.  
"Oh my G -.. Fuck!" she gasped. In her pleasure, she gripped Amber's hair a little too hard, but it was the only thing she could hold onto. Her back arched. Amber's tongue circles around her nipple, making pleasure rip through her body that she hadn't felt before. But it only lasted a few seconds before Amber looked back up to her. It took her a moment to open her eyes again, only to see her girlfriend hovering over her face with a look in her eyes that Krystal had trouble placing. Perhaps it was interest the most, interest mixed with curiosity and surprise. Suddenly, Krystal realized what she had done.  
"Did I hurt you? I didn't mean to-"  
Amber interrupted her by kissing her lips deeply. It instantly made her forget whatever she had wanted to say.  
"It's not that," she said, when they broke up again. "I just think that you're the most sensitive person I've ever met. You're cute."  
Krystal's cheeks turned deeply red. She wasn lucky it was rather dark in the room, so that it would be less visible. Softly she bit down on her lower lip whilst she carassed the place where she had pulled a few moments before. It must've hurt even though Amber claimed it didn't.  
"I'm sorry, I-I can't help it," she mumbled.  
Krystal knew of herself that she was rather sensitive. She had noticed it a few times when she had sex with her ex. It was often just very unpleasant for her because he had been so rough with her. Amber, on the other hand, was nothing but sweet and tender, witht he right ammount of passion to make her gasp in surprise and moan out her name. But she had forgot to tell Amber, mainly because she didn't know what Amber was like in bed. If she was as rough as her ex was, then she would've defenitely told her. But if she wasn't, it simply didn't matter. But now that Amber pointed it out, she couldn't help to be a bit ashamed of it. Was she really that much more sensitive than the average girl? Did Amber think of it as a bad thing?  
"Don't apologize. I'll go soft on you, okay?" said Amber. She kissed her again and Krystal kissed her back, a little bit impatiently. She wanted to feel her back at her breasts again.  
"Don't be, don't hold back, please. Make me feel everything."   
And she meant it.  
Amber grinned. She pressed a long kiss upon Krystal's lips. Right at the moment her mind was getting dazed again, Amber broke the kiss off and started back off where she had stopped. Without any warning she started to kiss her nipple, take it into her mouth and suck on it whilst she carassed the other with her hand, slowly turning circles around it with the tip of her fingers to keep it erected. Krystal's back arched as she moaned Amber's name. It was almost scary how much something simple could already make her moan like that. Perhaps she indeed was really sensitive. She couldn't say that she minded it though. It made everything that Amber did feel even better.  
Krystal's fingers curled up around Amber's neck, this time being a bit more careful with her hair. It wasn't like pulling hair which was that short would hurt her a lot but she still didn't want to cause any discomfort for Amber.  
Amber changed to the other nipple, whilst keeping the other one erected why slowly rubbing them. Krystal already started to breath louder and faster, her chest rising fastly up and down. With her eyes closed, she felt everything even better. Flashes of pleasure rushed through her body already, and the need between her thighs started to build up until an ammount that was almost unable to bear. Amber still sometimes grined her hips down upon hers, and when she did Krystal couldn't help to gasp.  
It had annoyed her at first a little bit that Amber had so much experience with sex already, especially because it hadn't been her whom she had practised with. It had given her a feeling of not being enough. Amber was so experienced already. She knew little trics that Krystal didn't know, and had gained a lot of confidence by all of her previous content partners. Krystal, on the other hand, had never had sex with a girl before and didn't know a single thing about how to please Amber. Yes, she had read something a while ago, but reading something was easier than actually doing it. And she still had to wait for Amber's reaction, because the article had also said that every girl reacted differently. Amber seemed to feel what Krystal wanted and needed, and didn't have trouble in pleasing her at all. It was good for Krystal to know Amber didn't have any trouble about that, but she felt insecure about her own skills.  
Her thoughts were all cleared from her mind though, when Amber let her nipples go. She started to make a trail of kisses, each a little lower over her belly. Featherlight, sweet kisses that made goosebumps appear all over her body. Lower and lower she went, until the point which her lips met the edge of her panties. Krystal threw her head back, trying to steady her breathing again. It was in vain because the feeling of Amber's breath upon her hot center made her want to buck her hips up.  
Amber spread her legs a little bit more and laid down in a comfertable position. Her hands curled around Krystal's thighs, keeping her steady. She could practically feel Amber's exhales on her center and it was almost unbearable. Knowing that she was so close but still didn't give her a release was almost maddening. Amber started to kiss her inner thighs, from her knees lowering until her lips met the edge of her panties again. She moved over to her other leg. Krystal sighed.  
"Don't tease me so much," she whimpered. Amber snickered and lifted her head up for a moment.  
"Don't be so needy," she said. "We have all evening. It's only half past nine."  
"I don't care," replied Krystal. Amber laughed softly. Her fingers curled around her panties and slowly pulled them down. Krystal closed her eyes in advance and tried to relax. But her muscles were tensed and she was aware of all of Amber's small touches. Even when her fingers only brushed over her upper leg she had to clench her teeth together. Amber spread her legs some more. Krystal could feel that her face was so close, so close, but that her lips didn't just touch.  
"Are you ready?" Amber asked softly. She felt her breath against her clit and it almost prevented her from replying.  
"Please," she muttered.

Krystal felt sorry for the neighbours. They had often noticed how thin the walls actually were when someone else turned their music up very loud or had a lot of friends over. The walls were not capable of holding much sound, which often prevented them from watching movie on a loud volume. Sometimes, when someone talked too loudly, they were able to hear them talk. Krystal couldn't help to wonder if someone had heard them. Perhaps they were used to sounds like these coming from Amber's room, but she still couldn't help to feel ashamed. She hadn't exactly been quiet...  
And she simply couldn't help it, because Amber was the person who had made her feel this way. Still, she hoped that she'd never have to talk with any of Amber's neighbours again. That was simply too uncomfertable and awkward for her, especially now that it was most likely that someone had heard her call out Amber's name when she-... She couldn't even think of the memory without blushing furiously.  
Sure, Amber hadn't been quiet too, but she had at least been more controlled. Krystal didn't know whether it was because she hadn't done such a good job with pleasing her, or that Amber was naturally more quiet than she was. Sadly that meant that the neighbours had probably only heard her... Her voice was quite different from Amber's, much higher, especially during sex. Amber's voice also shot up a few octaves when Krystal had started, but it still hadn't been comparable to hers. There was simply no way that the other people in the apartment complex hadn't heard them. Krystal would rather want Amber to move places than to speak to them.

Sex with Amber Liu was simply the best. Krystal had never expected it to be so good. Perhaps her general view of sexual intercourse had just been spoiled because of her poor experiences before. She felt like this was how it is supposed to be. Sweet, caring with the right ammount of sexiness that made her loose her mind. It really felt like they had made love, instead of fooling around. It had been more intense, more loving than the times she had had sex with her exes. Never had someone made her feel so loved. Krystal had to admit that she at first had been scared about getting completely naked with Amber, but she hadn't felt a single bit of insecurity when Amber had pulled down her panties. She had been right; Amber loved her for who she was and didn't care a single bit about a few extra beauty spots or stretch marks or that there was a little pouch of fat on her belly when she laid down.  
And she thought the same way. She hadn't noticed any of Amber's imperfections. In fact, the more undressed Amber was, the more her belly roared with desire for her and the faster her heart had started to beat. Her fingers had shook with nervousness when they had closed around the clip of her sports bra and she had felt like she was about to faint when she had come to the edge of her boxers. At that moment it had been too much to handle. With red cheeks, Krystal only had been able to look at her almost naked girlfriend, lying there topless in front of her with a grin that seemed to big for her face. Eventually, Amber had gotten up and had kissed her tenderly. She could taste herself still upon her lips; it was a little bit sour and salty. Krystal felt rather like crying than laughing; that's how nervous she was..  
"You can touch, if you want," Amber had whispered to her. And so she had brought up her hand, shakily, to her breasts. Amber stayed close, so that she had no time to look. But she had felt it. The hard bumps under her hand that grew bigger the more she touched them. The little moan from Amber in her ears.  
Eventually Amber laid back down again, taking Krystal with her. Amber still held Krystal's hand, and now let it slide over her belly down to her legs. Krystal's cheeks felt like they were on fire. Their hands both slid under the black material of Amber's underwear. Her girlfriend took her hand back and let everything else to Krystal. Slowly, because she didn't know what to expect, the let one finger carass her center. Immediately she felt how wet Amber actually was. Krystal looked up to her; Amber's eyes had been glued on her the whole time.  
"I'm sorry I let you wait so long ," she said. "You must be so eager."  
Amber chuckled softly. "After hearing you moan out my name, who wouldn't get turned on by that? Are you nervous?" she added. Krystal bit down on her lip, nodding slowly.  
"Don't worry, I will help you. I'll guide you."  
The brunette looked back up to her, and she smiled softly. Perhaps, if Amber helped her, it wouldn't be a complete disaster.

And actually, it was pretty easy. Not hard at all, especially when Amber directer her to sometimes move her fingers, or curl them up or speed up. It didn't take a long time before she got the rhythm in her hands and she was able to make her gasp and moan like she had just moments before, unable to talk except when it came to moan her name. It was almost scary to see Amber - who had always been so hard and strong, never showing that someone got to her either by laughing or just talking over it - now lay on her back almost begging for a release.  
And when she came, she tightened around Krystal's fingers, arched her back and curled up her toes. Krystal watched her, heard her gasp her name. Right after, she bowed over her, still softly straddlying her inner thighs and kissed her directly upon the lips. Amber, still gasping for air, had trouble kissing back. Krystal felt her hot breath against her lips.  
"Did you like it?" she asked, when they broke apart. Whilst getting up on her elbows, Amber huffed softly.  
"Like it? I had an orgasm, what's there not to like?" she laughed. "You did great, Princess."  
Amber kissed her again and smiled. A smile grew on her face at Amber's comment. She threw her arms around her neck and kissed her eagerly. Being taken aback, Amber let out a little whelp when they landed back into the pillows again, kissing her back. When they broke apart, Krystal grinned.  
"What time is it?" she asked. Amber stretched her arm to grab her phone from the night stand.  
"A quarter past ten, why?"  
"Because I want to sleep!" replied Krystal. Amber's eyes grew wide.  
"What? Now? Can't we watch a movie or something? It's way too early!" she objected. Krystal rolled with her eyes and sighed. Of course she would've known that Amber wouldn't like the idea. Her girlfriend was way too used to staying up to 2 AM every night to go to sleep early for once. But she firmly shook her head and crossed her arms in front of her still naked chest.  
"No, I want to go to sleep. With you. Right now. And you can't play on your phone. You have to cuddle with me and wake up with me the next morning and kiss me sweetly despite the fact that we both haven't brushed our teeth yet."  
Amber's grin re-appeared on her face the more Krystal spoke. When she was done, the other girl pulled her into her arms and placed a kiss upon her forehead.  
"Okay, fine then. I will."  
Krystal grinned when Amber gave in. Her girlfriend kissed her another time, before taking the blankets and covering up their still naked bodies. It was a little bit cold in the room, Krystal noticed now. She had been hot the whole time, but now that she had been released from that agonizing desire, she noticed that there were goosebumps all over her body. Together they lay under the covers, shivering a little bit. Pressing their bodies close to each other — neither of them bothering to get dressed again — so that they would get warm soon.  
Eventually, when Krystal yawned, Amber made her turn around. The brunette objected a little bit, because she liked to look at Amber. It was usually her who fell alseep first and it was simply the cutest thing to watch her. With her mouth a little bit open, her face completely relaxed. Sometimes she snored a little bit, but it was cute rather than annoying. Krystal just loved to watch her.  
But Amber shook her head, and made her turn around. Only when her hand slipped around her waist and she felt Amber behind her, she understood why. Krystal chuckled softly. She couldn't say that she minded this much either. With a sigh of utter happiness, she placed her hand upon Amber's and let their fingers intertwine. She felt a kiss upon her shoulder blade.  
"Krystal.." muttered Amber softly, almost whispered. "I really like you."  
Krystal closed her eyes comfortably.  
"I know."  
"Is that all you have to say?" laughed Amber awkwardly. Krystal pinched in her hand and chuckled.  
"I like you too. Don't worry about that."  
"I never worry!" objected Amber. Krystal rolled her eyes. She knew Amber well enough by now to know that Amber always worried about stuff like this. Perhaps, that was also why she had never started a real relationship but only had wanted one night stands before they started something. Was she afraid of commitment? Even when she said she didn't worry, Krystal doubted Amber knew how much she liked her. But she didn't want to give away just too much. A part of her also wanted Amber to yearn for it, just like she yearned for Amber's affection.  
"Yeah, sure," Krystal huffed. "I'm happy with you, Amber. I wouldn't want it any other way."  
"You are? Happy, for real?"  
Krystal laughed.   
"Yes, I am. Especially tonight."  
"Why? Because you got an orgasm for the first time in your life?" joked Amber. Krystal's elbow hit her in the stomach and her girlfriend moaned.  
"Shut up and sleep," she said, eye-rolling. Amber laughed and pressed another kiss in her neck.  
"Sleep well, Princess."  
"You too, Stupid."


	12. Chapter eleven

Krystal woke up the next morning around an hour of ten to the delicious smell of baked eggs. At first, being still a bit sleep drunk, she couldn't quite grasp what was going on. With her eyes still closed, her hand sought for Amber. But even though she had outstretched her arm fully, she still felt nothing. To be sure she didn't accidentally miss her, she also sought with her leg, but after a few moments she came to realize that Amber wasn't with her anymore.  
Krystal opened her eyes and indeed saw that the pillows next to her were empty. And she almost wanted to start complaining already when she heard a soft humming coming from the kitchen. Krystal turned onto her back so that she could see her.  
Amber stood in front of the stove, stirring in a frying pan, softly singing Need to feel needed — their song — in nothing but a few black Nike shorts and her sports bra. It still reminded Krystal to that day at which they had shared their first kiss, right after Amber had sung to her her self composed love song. Hearing her hum it still caused butterflies to erupt in her belly. Krystal watched the other girl for a few moments, simply admiring her. She shamelessly let her eyes run over her toned back muscles, biting her lip softly.  
Eventually she couldn't wait anymore. Krystal stood up from the bed — suddenly painfully aware that she still wore nothing at all — and quickly put her lingerie back on. To cover up her naked skin, she also took Amber's white blouse that she had worn last night, since she didn't feel like getting back into her dress.  
Amber didn't look up from the stove and simply kept humming, now changing Need to feel needed to The day we felt the distance from Kyuhyun. Krystal walked up to her, not sure whether Amber really hadn't heard her get up because she was humming or that she just pretended not to care that she was awake. Either way, she wrapped her arms around Amber's waist, hugging her from behind.  
Her girlfriend stiffened for a moment, then looked over her shoulder, with a wide grin on her face.  
"Good morning, Princess," she said. Amber turned around in her arms and kissed her tenderly on the lips. Krystal kissed her back whilst tightening her grip around her waist a little bit. When they broke apart, she started to pout. Amber frowned her eyebrows.  
"What?"  
"You have been bad!" Krystal said cutely. Amber rose her right eyebrow questionably.  
"You just went out of bed without me! You always do that!" she whined. "Next time you have to stay in bed with me, until I wake up."  
Amber laughed and ruffled her already messy hair for a moment.  
"Why? So you can watch me drool on my pillow and hear me snore? Very attractive," she said sarcastically. But that was exactly what Krystal wanted.  
"Yes! You need to stay in bed with me the next time, or wake me up with a lot of kisses, okay?" she said. Amber laughed and kissed her again.  
"Okay, deal. But that means you won't get any breakfast then."  
Krystal pouted her lips, thought for a second, then smiled.  
"I don't care, we can make it together," she replied smugly. Amber started to laugh.  
"Like hell I'm letting you cook in my kitchen! Last time you had to call your mom how to make rice!"  
Krystal's smile dissapeared immediately and with an annoyed huff, she pushed a laughing Amber away.  
"Ugh, as if you're such an amazing cook."  
"Better than you," teased Amber. She stack out her tongue and Krystal wrapped her arms in front of her body.  
"No kisses for you!" she hissed. Amber laughed and smoothly went over her, slid her arms around her from the back and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, so her next would be exposed. Krystal tried to get away but as soon as Amber started to press kisses in her neck, she stopped with wriggling. Krystal cocked her head a bit, so that Amber would have more access. For extra support, she grabbed the edge of the dresser.  
"No more kisses for me, you said?" Amber said playfully.  
Krystal growled softly, opening her closed eyes, hoping that with that she could regain her self control. It was so easy to loose yourself in Amber's kisses, especially when she wanted you too.  
"What if you let me cook in your kitchen the next time together with you and you get your kisses as well," she proposed. That way she'd get her way anyway, because she'd be able to cook for Amber for a change and she wouldn't have to hold back when she wanted to kiss her. Amber laughed and placed another quick kiss in her neck.  
"Okay then, Princess," she said. "But for now, you have to sit back and let me do the cooking, deal?"  
Krystal looked up to her and rolled her eyes.  
"Fine," she mumbled. "I can use your shower right?"  
"You make me feel ashamed as your girlfriend by asking that question. You don't have to ask, Krystal."  
She chuckled and kissed Amber's cheek. Even after all this time, there was amazement to be seen in her eyes when she did that. Full kisses were often something else, something she was used to. Quick pecks on the cheek showed how Krystal was actually fond of her. Small specs of affection that made Amber's heart flutter in delight, even though she would never admit it.  
"I'm back in half an hour," she said with a wink. Amber sighed.  
"If you use up all the hot water again, I will personally-"  
But Krystal had already turned around before Amber could finish her sentence, lifting her hand a little bit to silence her. Amber chuckled softly and rolled her eyes. Sometimes she wondered how she put up with Krystal. But at the same thing, she wouldn't want anything else. Krystal was the kind of girlfriend who kept things playful: exactly the way Amber liked her relationship to be. Otherwise it would just be boring. The constant flirting and teasing hadn't stopped after they started dating.  
Krystal got herself a towel from Amber's closed and got into the bathroom. She didn't even bother to lock the door. After last night she didn't think it'd be necessary anymore to hide herself from Amber. Part of her also wouldn't mind it if Amber got in with her. Kind of romantic, wasn't it, to share a shower? If it wasn't romantic, it at least was hot.  
But she blocked those thoughts out of her mind, afraid of getting herself back into the state she was yesterday evening. Even though she had liked it back then, it was a bit too much for her to handle to also let herself go like that in the morning.

Krystal undressed and couldn't help to peek a look at herself in the great mirror that hung above the sink. She had to surpress a yelp when she saw her body. To keep herself from gasping, she pressed her hand tightly against her mouth. With shock, she watched the purple, dark spots all over her body. Those in her neck were the most visible. One on each side, purple with a hint of yellow. The skin around it was red.  
Not to mention the rest of her body. There were red spots of where Amber had bitten down every where. On her collar bone, on her right breast, one on her belly and her inner thighs were covered in it.  
Krystal tried to remember when all of that had happened, and she came to the conclusion that it was the second time.  
An hour after they had started to cuddle up in bed, Krystal had felt that her desire hadn't decreased much yet. She still felt ready to go and it hadn't taken long before she had been aching for Amber again. It didn't quite help that they hadn't dressed afterwards and that they were still naked. Without waking Amber, she felt in between her thighs, and noticed that she was wet all over again. Her girlfriend had fallen asleep already, but it had taken her only a few kisses to wake her up and admit with a guilty expression that she actually would like more. She hadn't said it that bluntly because she wouldn't have been able to get that out of her mouth even if she wanted to, but luckily Amber had immediately gotten her hint.  
And the second time had been rougher, more passionate, because they both knew each other wantings and limits a little already. Krystal had gained a little experience, causing it to be more fun for Amber too the second time. They had experienced with the hickeys a little bit. And Krystal had been still kind of reasonable. She had been able to succesfully give Amber one on her inner thigh, but Amber had gone full out on Krystal. And yes, she had to admit that it was extremely hot for the time being, but her body looked like he ravage now.  
Softly she touched the one in her neck and flinched when a sting of pain shot through her neck. Quickly she took her hand away. The red spots were less painful, she noticed, but she still felt them. Damn, so this was how sex with Amber Liu was like, Krystal thought amazedly.  
She sighed and ran a hand through her messy hair, deciding to turn her back to the mirror. When the shower had turned hot, she stepped under and let it warm her skin. It didn't take a long time before she took it up to an almost burning temperature.

Half an hour later she stepped out of the bathroom, still drying her hair with the towel. Amber was busy covering the table, placing plates, knives, forks and glasses in a neat order. She didn't look up when Krystal entered the room, but did pour her a glass of orange juice and shove one of the chairs away from the table so that she could sit. Amber turned back to the kitchen and got the frying pan. With a spatula, she let some of the scrambled eggs slide onto Krystal's plate, and let the rest drop on hers. Krystal noticed that there was quite much more on hers than on Amber's, but Amber didn't seem to have noticed, and otherwise didn't care. At last, she took the toast from the toaster and gave her two slices, then took two herself too. She dumped the frying pan in the sink and sat down across from her.  
Krystal took her fork and pricked a little in the scrambled eggs, a little careful. Last time Amber had made her something she had found some scales of the eggs inside the food. She hadn't said anything to her, because she didn't want to hurt her feelings, and just ate enough from it until she would cross the point where it would not impolite anymore to leave some leftovers.

Amber looked at her curiously, waiting for her to take a bite. Eventually, she took some on her fork and brought it to her mouth. She chewed slowly.  
Her frown dissapeared immediately when she tasted how good it actually was.  
"Wow, this is really good!" she exclaimed. Amber laughed.  
"What, you expected otherwise?" asked her girlfriend. Krystal turned her eyes away and quickly took another bite, so that she wouldn't have to admit that indeed she had embraced herself for the worst. But this was really good. Scrambled eggs sprinkled with small pieces of spring onions and the toast was exactly right.  
"I asked my neighbour for a few recipes. I knew you liked scrambled eggs, so I just tried to make some. It's actually my first try so if you know how I could improve-"  
"Don't," said Krystal, with a mouth full of eggs. "It's perfect."  
Amber chuckled and let her head rest in her hands while she watched her eat. Krystal munched the eggs away like she had never tasted anything better. It made her heart flutter to know that Amber had learned to cook her favourite dish for her just because she loved her. It was quite romantic.  
"You eat too," she said after a while, when Amber was still watching her.  
"Hmm, right," Amber replied, as she started on her own share. The brunette saw her devour her own food in a few big bites then whipe her mouth with the back of her hand.  
"Do you want some from me? You gave me more," Krystal offered concernedly. She didn't want her to be hungry. But Amber shook her head and smiled.  
"No, after tonight I figured you needed a little extra energy," the other girl teased. The worried expression dissapeared from her face immediately and in return, she lifted her middlefinger up to her. Amber started to laugh.  
"Ugh, just go away you!" she huffed. Amber winked with that big smug smile on her face.

Five hours, a phone call from her mother and a latte macchiato later, Amber and Krystal were walking through the streets, hand in hand. It was autumn, causing both of them to be bundled up in a warm coat. Krystal wore a scarf to cover her neck, mainly because she had to cover up her hickeys. It was extremely embarassing to sit in a restaurant - since Amber and Krystal always went out for lunch together when they were together on days like these - and keep on her scarf. But it was nice and warm, so it wasn't too bad after all.  
With their fingers intertwined, Krystal felt secure. But there had gathered a sense of guilt in her stomach that was just hard to ignore. It made her eyebrows frown a slightest bit, making her looking troubled the whole time. Amber had asked already a couple of times if something was wrong, but she had just answered that she was thinking. And she was indeed thinking about something.  
Her mother had called her two hours ago to ask where she had been last night. Krystal's parents still didn't know she was dating, let alone a girl who happened to be the daughter of her father's best friend. All those times she went to Amber's place, she had lied that she went to Sulli's instead, because using her best friend as a cover was literally the best plan she could come up with. Sulli promised that she would cover for her if anything would every go wrong, but Krystal knew her mother would be too busy to check up on her only if she hadn't come home. And usually, she did, despite it being often very late. She had never stayed over at Amber's place, except that night after the conference party. Her mother must've noticed that her daughter was away often, whilst she had stayed home so often half a year ago but Krystal didn't know if she could come up with the conclusion that she was dating by herself. At least, her parents didn't know all the details yet, even if they already knew she was dating.  
At first, when their relationship had just started, Krystal had had no trouble with keeping a secret from her parents. In the first weeks, she convinced herself that they needn't to know, because they could break up at any given moment. One big fight and it would be over. But the longer they dated, the more Krystal found herself being really in love with Amber Liu, despite not having said 'I love you' just yet. Right now, when they were in their third month of dating, Krystal felt guilty that she didn't tell her parents yet. Amber had become such a big part of her life, it was hard to hide her from them. She felt ashamed too that she kept using Sulli as a cover up for so long. It was not fair for Amber as well as her parents and on top of that, Krystal grew uneasy.  
So she was playing with the idea to introduce Amber to her parents. Of course she was able to think of a thousand reasons not to, but she could also think of a thousand reasons not to date Amber at all. And still she did. So why shouldn't she introduce her to her parents? Sometimes, you can't be able to predict what's going to happen, and it's worth giving a shot.  
"Amber...?" she asked quietly. Her girlfriend looked down to her and raised her eyebrows questioningly.  
"I was wondering if you wanted to meet my parents."  
Amber looked at her with an open mouth, at first unable to say something. Because she got uneasy because of her staring gaze, Krystal lowered her eyes, wishing she had said nothing. She hadn't considered the option yet that Amber wouldn't want to meet her parents at all. Of course, she thought, she wouldn't want to meet her parents too if she knew there was a big chance they'd oppose to their relationship and maybe even blame and hate her.  
Krystal wanted to let go of Amber's hand, but the other girl kept on holding it even tighter. Eventually, she cleared her throat.  
"But I thought we had agreed to wait?" she asked carefully. Krystal nodded.  
"Yeah.. well.. I thought it might be- you know what, never mind. Forget what I said," she replied brusquely. Amber let out a snort.  
"I didn't say that because I don't want to meet them, you dummy. I just thought that you wanted to wait. But if you're ready, I'm ready," she said casually. With a frown on her face, Krystal looked up to her girlfriend, who smiled smugly back at her. Ever since that night on the roof, Amber keeps amazing her with her sensibility and her obvious care taking for other people, especially when it was about her. Because she used to think for so long that nothing bothered the brat, she was still surprised by her sweetness.  
"I-I'm ready, I think," she mumbled, a little ashamed of herself. Amber's smug smile slinked into a reassuring one as she nodded.  
"Well, then I guess it's settled. I expect you to make an dinner-date with your parents?" she said.

A few days later, Krystal had gathered enough guts to talk to her parents about it. She wanted to make sure that she could introduce Amber as her girlfriend at a moment where her father could not get incredibly mad with her, so she had asked her mother if she couldn't make a reservation at a restaurant, instead of having dinner at their house. Her parents — quite curious about the significant other of their daughter — had agreed immediately. They had told her that they loved to meet the man who had finally conquered their daughter's heart. Krystal had had to gulp and press her lips together at that very moment, and had just nodded solemnly.  
So her parents had made sure that there was a reservation for five at their favourite restaurant: Bella Vita, an Italian restaurant their family went to when they were all off from work. It had been a while since Krystal ate there, so it would be good to go again. Hopefully she wouldn't make some bad memories.  
Jessica had insisted to tag along too. At first, Krystal didn't want her sister there at all. It was hard enough to come out to her parents and introduce her girlfriend too, let alone an extra person. But the more she thought about it, the more reassured she became that Jessica came along. The two sisters had never held secrets for each other and Jessica was aware that Krystal had found a new friend in Amber and that whenever she went to Sulli's, she actually went to her. Only she had left out one important detail about their relationship: Jessica still thought they were just friends.  
Or... maybe she didn't, Krystal came to realize. Most of their conversations were about Amber nowadays and mostly because Krystal had let something slip. Usually it was a casual remark. Once, when they had been talking about which colour to paint their nails in, Jessica had doubted between the colour red or purple, Krystal had said that she should pain ther nails red. At the question why, she had shyly answered that red was Amber's favourite colour. Usually, it wasn't more than that, and Jessica usually didn't ask any further questions, but she did notice the way her older sister was looking at her after comments like that: with squinted eyes and a certain gaze in her eyes her sister always got whenever she was cracking an diffecult problem. Krystal tried to shut up about it, but sometimes she just couldn't help it.  
Krystal therefor decided to tell Jessica at advance to the dinner about her and Amber. She wanted her full support if her parents decided that homosexuality after all was sinful and that they didn't want their daughter to like women as wel as men. All of a sudden, Krystal wasn't so sure anymore that it would work in their advantage that Amber was the daughter of Jacob Liu. Would her father blame his friend for Amber because she snatched his little girl away? Krystal hoped not.  
A couple of days prior to the dinner at Bella Vita, she texted Jessica. Krystal wanted to avoid a confrontation with her, because she was simply to scared to say such an important thing out loud. She wasn't brave when it came to these things, not at all. It was really scary to say something that you've hid about yourself for years and not know what the other person's reaction would be. It was even scarier because it was Jessica. It was her sister and she was either gonna love her with all her heart of despise her in a way that Krystal would not be able to handle.  
Also, to prevent that Jessica was going to rush to their elderly home from her apartment — which she tended to do when they were younger whenever Krystal felt bad — she texted her overdays, so she knew that her sister would be busy with work. At first it was a simple message that said: 

Hey, time to talk?

That way, she'd be sure to know Jessica would be online. After a quarter, she received a 'Yes' back. So Krystal started to type. It'd seem best to create just a really long message, so that Jessica only had time to reply after she had spilled her whole story. Krystal apologized for keeping her relationship with Amber a secret from her but that she was really scared about upcoming Saturday, where she'd have to tell the same thing to their parents. She shared her concern about her parents and whether or not she was going accept Amber and her as who they were. But she ended the message telling her that she was her sister, and that she wanted her to know first.  
Jessica had stayed online the whole time while she had written that long message and had read it immediately after she had sent it. But it took her at least a quarter to send a reply back. Right after Krystal had sent the message and noticed that Jessica had seen it, she had turned her phone off, unable to wait for her sister to reply because she simply was so drop dead nervous.  
It took Jessica a quarter to write back a message. When Krystal heard her phone buzz, she almost choked on her own spit. With shaking hands she opened the message a few minutes later, since she first had had to gather a little courage. But as soon as her eyes slid over the words, she noticed they were all but hateful. Jessica thanked her for telling her first but that she wasn't surprised at all. There always had been that air around her, Jessica told her, that she was not just interested in boys. She had checked out girls too much for that to hide her sexuality from her sister. That Amber was her first girlfriend wasn't surprising to her too, although she had some doubts about her. Jessica admitted that she thought Amber would be of bad influence to her and her family, despite being the daughter of Jacob Liu, their father's best friend.  
And despite the fact that Jessica didn't think Amber was the appropriate person for her, Krystal couldn't help but to jump up from her chair and do a little happy dance. She wasn't the kind of person who normally did that, but this time she didn't care. Her body felt like it would burst from happiness. At least Jessica accepted her, at least Jessica loved her. And when her sister did, it almost didn't matter anymore that her parents would reject them. She had Amber and Jessica now and that would be enough.

So that Saturday, Amber and Krystal decided to prepare themselves for the dinner at her place. She had told her parents that she would arrive with Amber a little later because they still had to walk the dog, at which her mother's response was: "Does he have a car?!" Krystal simply had nodded but hadn't said anything else. Amber had promised her that she would borrow one of her father's cars to make a good first impression. To her it really wouldn't have made a difference if they came in an expensive car or by bus, but Amber found it necessary to brag about her father's wealth. It had made her roll her eyes but she knew that if Amber had made up an idea, she would damn well go through with it even if it's the last thing she will do.  
Amber wore the same white blouse and high pants that she had worn that day Krystal had come over for dinner at the Liu's. It made her re-live the memories that were made after the dinner. Whilst buttoning up Amber's blouse - since her girlfriend had managed to button it down twice the wrong way - she had to surpress thoughts to button it down again. But she pushed those thoughts out of her mind because she couldn't let herself be distracted today. There was too much at stake.  
Krystal herself had changed her white summer dress for a black tight one. She had always felt more comfertable in darker clothes and this dress fit her better too, not to mention it made her look more mature. Maybe if Amber and she dressed up well, her parents would also be accepting her sooner because of the fact that they looked like Jessica's age at least.  
When they had both fixed their clothes, their hair and had calmed themselves down for the incredibly nerve-wrecking dinner that was going to come. Eventually they walked down from Amber's apartment and got in the car. Even after months, Amber hadn't lost that sense of gentleman about her, because she still opened the car door for her when she got it. It was incredibly attractive and Krystal loved that about her.  
Amber started the car and after Krystal told her where to go, she drove that way. It took them at least three quarters to get at Vita Bella because Amber had driven the wrong way twice.  
"Yeah well I've never been to that fancy restaurant of yours that clearly is built in the middle of nowhere," Amber muttered chuckling when she had turned in a wrong way fro the second time. "Would your parents mind that we're a little late though?"  
"No, but I think they're also drop dead nervous to meet you," Krystal said. "They were so enthusiastic that I was going to introduce my partner."  
Amber laughed.  
"Well they're either gonna be relieved their daughter is not dating a filthy ass-grabbing man or completely horrified."  
"How can you be so optimistic? I'm nervous to the point where I rather feel like dying than going in there," Krystal whined. Amber shrugged.  
"I think I just don't care enough. They're not my parents and I know I am not going to stop seeing you even if they dissaprove."  
"What if they forbid me from seeing you?" Krystal asked softly. That was basically her biggest fear, and that her parents would kick her out of the house.  
"Well, they can't. We're both over eightteen, legally adults and I have broken into enough places to know that I can break into your house too if I want to," she laughed. "Don't worry about it, Princess, it's going to be alright. And if it won't be, we'll figure something out."  
"I just hope so," sighed Krystal. The conversation fell silent as they drove on.

They eventually parked in front of Vita Bella. Krystal already spotted the black Maserati from her father next to the silver Opal from her sister. Krystal gulped at the sight of the cars. Knowing that her parents and Jessica were in the restaurant already, eagerly waiting for Krystal to appear, made her nervous to a point where she was sick to her stomach.  
Before she knew Amber had already shut off the car engine, gotten out and had walked to the other side of the car to open her door. It took her a few seconds before she came to her senses and got out too. With her lip between her teeth, Krystal grabbed Amber's hand. She only noticed that she pinched hard when Amber whined softly.  
"Sorry.." she mumbled. Amber smiled at her and shook her head.  
"I want to tell you not to worry but it doesn't seem make a change," she said. "Relax, Krystal. I'm with you, okay?"  
Krystal nodded slowly and turned her eyes away. She felt so miserable that she was able to cry right now. But Amber grabbed her by the waist right before the entrance and softly pressed her lips upon hers. Krystal sighed to Amber's lips and kissed her back, putting her arms around Amber's body too. The kiss was as soft and sweet as their first kiss had been. Tender, their lips slid over each other. Krystal found her heart beat slowing down, her mind emptying of those awful thoughts. The kiss was full of love and Krystal finally understood what Amber had meant when they were in the car. It indeed wouldn't matter if her parents wouldn't agree upon them, it would be enough to be with Amber. They would turn around eventually and until then, she had Amber and Jessica too.  
Eventually, their eyes met when they broke apart again. Her girlfriend smiled reassuringly.  
"Ready?" Amber asked. Krystal took another deep breath, but nodded.  
"Yes. Let's go."  
They took each other's hand again and pushed open the doors of the restaurant.


	13. Chapter twelve

Warmth as well as the delicious smell of freshly baked garlic bread and pizza overwhelmed them when they stepped into the restaurant. They hadn't set two steps when one of the waitresses came up to them. Like the other employees she wore a black blouse tugged into black jeans. She had tied a white apron around her waist and had her dark brown hair in a ponytail. She looked friendly, which could not be said of all the employees that worked here. They usually were quite a lot older.  
"Can I help you?" she asked. Krystal put up a smile and nodded.  
"I believe there's a reservation for Jung? Some of the group have already arrived, we're the last two," she said. The waitress made an 'Aahh' sound and looked their name up in the reservation book close to the entrace. She looked up and smiled.  
"Yes, please follow me."  
Krystal pinched in Amber's hand nervously when they followed the waitress to their table. With every step she took she became more nervous and nervous. It was almost unbearable.  
It didn't take her a long time to spot her parents. They were seated at the table at the farest end of the restaurant. Her parents had their backs towards them, but Jessica saw them coming and lifted her head a little bit. Her parents seemed to be too busy into their conversation to notice the small sign Jessica had given away and therefor didn't look up. The waitress didn't walk all the way towards the table, but half past the way pointed into the direction, because it simply was the only table occupied.  
"I will come in a bit to take your order," she entrusted Amber and Krystal before she walked away. Krystal swallowed audibly when they were left alone. Amber pinched in her hand and she took a deep sigh.  
"Let's just go and be over with it," Krystal muttered.

And so they crossed over those last few meters to the table. At first, her parents didn't even have clue that they were there. Only when their bodies cast a shadow over the table and Jessica looked up and smiled, her father and mother turned around, both with a wide grin on their face. Krystal smiled weakly and Amber had her usual cheeky grin on her face. They still held hands.  
Slowly, the grins were fading from their parents' faces when they noticed who Krystal had brought to the dinner. She was almost unable to look at them, seeing as their smiles had completely faded from their faces now. Jessica still smiled, but even on her face had grown a concerning frown. Did her sister sense there was something wrong?  
"Amber..." her father eventually spoke. Her father's voice made her realize that she hadn't even introduced Amber yet. Was it really necessary though? Krystal cleared her throat.  
"Mom, dad, Jess.. I want you to meet my girlfriend, Amber," she said in a little voice.  
When Krystal finished her sentence, there was silence. The silence endured for a long time. Her parents took their time to let their eyes slide over Amber. Her father's face was shocked and her mother looked even angry. Amber squeezed Krystal's hand to reassure her.  
Eventually, her father stood up. He brushed the dust off his suit and placed his hands in the pockets of his pants. He straightened his back and looked down upon Amber, who was at least a head smaller than him. Even though Amber had to look up, she kept smiling relaxed. There was no sign that she was nervous at all. Did she have so much faith in her father? At least more than Krystal did. With horror, she looked how her father stepped closer to Amber. Her father cleared his throat.  
"Listen," he said, in a voice so low and grumbling it could've belonged to a grizzly bear. "If you hurt my daughter in any way, I will make sure that I won't only ruin your life but also those of your family. Do you understand me, Amber?"  
Amber snorted.   
"If you think I'd ever hurt Krystal then you have the wrong impression of me. I don't blame you, sir, a lot of people do," she said. Her father grinded his teeth together and frowned deeply. He pointed his finger towards Amber.   
"I don't like you, let's put that on front. You're too witty for your own good," he hissed.   
"Yeah well a lot of people say that too," Amber chuckled. She turned towards Mrs. Jung and Jessica, stepped around her father and shook both of their hands.   
"Nice to meet you, I'm Amber," she said twice. Her mother barely touched her hand and quickly took it back again when Amber was done, but Jessica's face was as bright as the sun. She smiled broadly and shook her hand firmly.   
"Nice to meet you too, Amber. I'm Jessica," she said. "I agree with my father but from the stories I've heard, I don't think my baby sister could wish for someone better."  
Amber laughed and nodded thankfully to Jessica. Even Krystal smiled a little at the words of her sister.   
"Well, I guess we could get started then," growled her father as he sat down again. Krystal nodded and sat down next to him. Amber sat down next to Jessica. Krystal actually didn't feel much like sitting next to her father — who had just threatened to destroy Amber's life a few moments ago — but she didn't want to let Amber sit next to him either. It would be the safest if she sat down next to Jessica.

There was another awkward silence, until Jessica waved for one of the waitresses to come over and take the order of their drinks. The waitress was way too happy for the air that hung around the table. They all gave their orders. Mr. Jung ordered beer for himself and white wine for his wife and two daughters. Amber looked at her with a raised eyebrow when that happened, because Krystal tended either not to drink or to drink very strong drinks, but Krystal placed her index finger to her lips to silence her. Amber chuckled.  
When the waitress turned towards Amber, her girlfriend smiled.  
"A water for me, please," Amber said. Krystal's father raised his eyebrows.  
"You don't drink?" he asked sceptically. Amber turned towards him.  
"I still have to drive your daughter home, sir," Amber said casually. Her father stared at her for a moment, silenced, then huffed.  
"I don't like it that you're responsible. It makes you harder to hate," he mumbled. Amber laughed and shrugged. Krystal chuckled softly too, causing her father to glance at her warningly. If there was one thing Mr. Jung didn't like, was that he was outsmarted or proved wrong.  
When the drinks came, the waitress also handed them the menu's, so that they could choose what to pick. The Jungs knew rather soon what they wanted to eat, since they knew the whole card by heart. Amber was still looking when the waitress came back. Even when everyone had already ordered, she was still looking. Eventually she put her menu down and smiled to the employee.  
"Just give me whatever he has ordered," she said, whilst nodding towards Krystal's father. The waitress nodded and wrote it down, before walking towards the kitchen. Her father was looking at Amber strangely, with his head tilted a little bit to the side.  
"I don't know what to think of you," he eventually said. Amber laughed.  
"Well, I do. You should like me, sir," she said. Krystal pressed her lips firmly on each other not to burst out in laughing. Even in front of her parents, who were clearly shocked that she dated a girl — Amber Liu, even — she still joked. And perhaps, it was good she did, because it did ease the air a little bit. Still, that didn't take away that Amber was playing with her life.  
Her father had pulled up his eyebrows and slowly licked his lips, not taking his eyes off Amber, clearly not liking this attitude of hers.  
"I can see why my daughter likes you. As a father, it's my job to hate you, no matter how nice you are," he said after a few moments of silence. Amber chuckled again.  
"I can live with that, sir. As long as Krystal is happy."  
Krystal rolled her eyes and kicked her from under the table.  
"Stop being so cheesy!" she warned. Jessica laughed.  
"I thought you were into that, sis?" she asked. Krystal's cheeks changed to dark pink and she pouted slightly.  
"Let's not talk about what I do and do not like in front of mom and dad because I don't think I am or ever will be ready for that conversation," she said, whilst rubbing her temples.  
"Don't worry honey, we'll get home soon enough," said Amber with a wink which caused Krystal's cheeks to turn even darker and Amber and Jessica to high-five each other. Mr and Mrs Jung watched helplessly at the sudden dirty humour. It was the last thing they wanted to hear from their daughters and their daugther's girlfriend.

The drinks came. The waitress placed them all neatly in front of them and told them that their food would take a little more preperation before it would be brought it. The five people nodded quietly, each with their own reserved smile on their faces. It would be less awkward for all of them to be here if the dinner was here. Then the painful silence would be interrupted by the clattering for knives and forks on the plates and the smacking of their mouths. But for now, the silence endured, and Amber felt a great need to say something. She wanted to break the silence with a joke or just with some small talk. Joking, that was what she was good at. Not pleasing grumpy old men who were biased already. Amber knew Mr. Jung would never give them their blessing and she guessed Krystal did too. The mother was still too astonished too speak. Luckily Jessica was on their side, but Jessica wasn't the problem. They needed to convince Mr. Jung, and that would be a hard job.  
"Well, Jess, how's work going?" Krystal eventually said, to break the ice. Jessica smiled at her younger sister, clearly thankful that awkwardness was broken now that they've started a conversation.  
"Ah just so-and-so. You know, the usual. Doing a lot of vocal exercises. Taking strolls around town, hoping that a some good lyrics that's good enough for a song pops up into your head and sticks," Jessica said. She shrugged, before turning to Amber. "Amber, what do you want to become?"  
Her girlfriend smiled broadly. Krystal let her head rest upon her hands and gazed at her while started to talk about her ambitions to become a music producer. There appeared a sparkle in her eyes when she talked about her dreams. The same sparkle that had appeared during their first night, when they broke into the university. It was something special, really, something so incredibly beautiful about Amber that Krystal just had a hard time looking away. You'd think, that as her girlfriend, she would see that cute little tingly in her dark eyes more often than other people, but even Krystal had to search for it from time to time. Sometimes, she caught Amber staring at her with the same gaze, with her eyes full of sparkles. Krystal didn't know whether Amber knew she noticed her shining eyes, or that she even was aware that she got a certain happy look in her eyes from time to time, but even if she did, she never called her out on it.  
Jessica's smile grew wider when she found out that she and Amber had their passion for music in common. Once in a while, Krystal looked at her dad from the corner of her eyes, but his expression looked just as grumpy as before; not betraying his inner feelings. She didn't know whether the fact that Amber wanted to become a music producer was good thing in his eyes. Her father hadn't liked it when Jessica told him that she didn't want to lead Jung Internationals but instead wanted to persue a music career. Would he think of Amber as a misfit? Of someone who couldn't take care of her responsibilities; her father's company when she was older? Krystal bit her lip.

The food took longer than expected and the group grew fretful again. The conversation had fallen silent again and this time everyone was silently sipping their drinks. Amber looked nervous, Krystal noticed. Logically, she would've felt nervous around her parents too if they were so disdainful and unaccepting too. Usually she would've made a joke by now, but Amber got that this probably wasn't the right time. Her parents wouldn't appreciate that as much.  
Her father cleared his throat.  
"I'm going for a smoke," he announced. "Amber, come with me please."  
Krystal and Amber exchanged a confused look, but Mr. Jung already stood up from the table, which made Amber obliged to follow. Quickly, the brunette pressed a kiss against Amber's cheek before she left. There was a hint of surprisement on Amber's face when she felt Krystal's lips on her cheek, but she smiled nevertheless. Usually it was the other way around — Amber kissing Krystal's cheek — and it was endearing that Krystal kissed her right in front of her parents. You'd say that by getting their approval, you'd try to act so pure and innocent as possible. But perhaps Krystal had another strategy. Maybe it was better to let them get used to the idea that their daughter is into girls too. That her lips will not be planted on a man's cheek with a 2-day-old scruff but the soft, silky cheek of a woman instead. Perhaps that's even better. Tolerating them is great, but supporting them is even better.  
Krystal's father and Amber walked off towards the exit of the restaurant. A silence set in between the three other women. For the first time since Amber and she walked in, her mother lifts her head and speaks.  
"You know your father is not as accepting as I am, Krystal," her mother begins warningly. "You have brought a diffecult task upon herself."  
Krystal looked up to her mother and smiled weakly. Jessica's eyes uncomfertably switched between her younger sister and her mother.  
"Excuse me, mother, but I know what I am doing. I have considered this for a while but I wanted you to know who I really am. I want to show you and father that I'm not some perfect doll you made me to be.  
And if it's worth anything, you haven't shown your support for us too so you're just as bad as dad."  
Krystal's eyes fell on her father's jacket hanging over the chair. Knowing he always kept his cigarettes in there, she stood up and took the half-empty packet from one of the pockets.  
"I'm going to bring this to dad. He forgot them," she said coldy, before walking off. She felt her mother's eyes burn in her back when she walked off, but really, Krystal has had enough of her attitude. Acting as if she was the lesser of two evils whilst in fact she disliked her relationship with Amber just as much as her father did. Perhaps her father was even more open-minded, because it was his best friend's daugher his child was dating with. Maybe, for the love for his friend, he'd accept them. Her mother, on the other hand, didn't have such a thing. But it was easier to pretend her father was the person who was hard to convince out of the two instead of admitting you have a problem with your daughter being bisexual.  
Krystal's face squinted together into an annoyed frown whilst she walked to the entrance of the restaurant. She had seen her father and Amber dissapear through the doors, although she was not quite sure which way they had walked to. She hoped they'd just stand outside the front doors, but when she got outside, all she saw was the half-filled parking lot. With a sigh she looked around, but there was no trail of her father or Amber. She looked at the packet of cigarettes in her hands. If she returned to that table now, she'd get questioned why she hadn't given her father the cigarettes so there was no turning back. With a sigh she started to walk around, hoping to find them.  
After walking around for a couple of minutes, searching the parking lot and trying to find out where they were, she eventually walked around the corner of the building, hoping to find them there. She didn't and she almost wanted to walk back in - not even caring anymore if her mother asked her why she hadn't delivered the cigarettes - when she heard voices... their voices.  
Krystal stopped to listen, suddenly well aware how her heels made incredibly much noise when she walked.  
"-were supposed to find her someone for her!" she heard her father breathe angrily. There was a chuckle.. from Amber.  
"I have found her someone, now, didn't I?"  
"I didn't mean it to be YOU!" her father hissed.  
"Well, maybe you gotta be more specific the next time then," Amber muttered, clearly agitated too. "Look, sir, I can't control who she loves or not."  
"It's not 'love', it's a fling. Something that belongs to puberty. I would've thought that she would be at least a bit grown up by this age.."  
Krystal wrapped her hand in front of her mouth not to make a sound. Suddenly her fast breathing seemed very loud and she was scared her father or girlfriend would hear her. Clearly she wasn't supposed to hear this.  
"Whatever you say, man," Amber reacted annoyedly. "I don't think it is. That's just you trying to convince yourself your precious daughter is straight. She isn't, obviously."  
"How do you know? You've only known her for a few months! I am her father!" her father barked.  
"Because I slept with her."  
There was a silence. Krystal could hear her own heart drum loudly against her ribs.  
"You filthy little-"  
Her father didn't finish her sentence. Krystal couldn't see what was happening, but there was some ruffling of clothes, a painful whimper that belonged to Amber.  
"Look, I wanted to set her up with my friend. He's classy, has a rich taste. Middle-classed, but fancy. But to do that, she'd have to let me get close to her first. She hated me, you know, and I didn't know why, but I had to get her to trust me first. How would I have known that she'd kiss me," Amber said, a little faster, more nervous now.  
"You could've turned her down! Broken her heart for her own good!" her father said loudly. His voice shook.  
"Yeah, that wouldn't at all have driven her away from me," Amber answered sarcastically. "Either way. I couldn't because I like-"  
At that moment, Krystal turned away. She turned away and ran back inside, as fast as she could on her heels. When she came back to the table, tears in her eyes, she threw the cigarettes as casually as she could on the table and muttered that she was going to the bathroom as quickly and as normally as possible, without making her voice shake. She hadn't seen her sister and mother's face but she hoped her lie was convincingly enough for her to get away with it. Jessica might have a harder time believing her, but she hoped that her sister wouldn't ask her about anything whilst they were still in the restaurant.

Quickly she hurried off towards the toilets. Luckily no one was there but her and she almost collapsed on the edge of the sink. There was a large mirror in the women's restroom, causing a reflection of herself to plague her. When she looked up, she saw how awful she looked. Of her so-called beauty was nothing left. Her hair had been ruffled by the wind, her eyes looked almost insane. Krystal was pale from herself, but now every little piece of colour had drained from her face, causing her to look like a ghost. Her arms shook while they held up her body. With short, quick inhales she breathed. It felt like her head was filled with cottons.  
Krystal forced herself to open the tap and splash some water in her face. But she didn't feel like herself doing that, it felt like someone else had posessed her body and made her move. She couldn't think clearly. It reminded her of being drunk. The water made her feel a bit better, but only for a few seconds. She still couldn't concentrate well, but the conversation of her father and Amber kept playing in her head. Fragments, sentences and words repeated again and again until she was almost driven mad. The meaning of the words had barely gotten through to her the first time, but the more she heard them the more she began to understand about what had happened between her father and Amber.  
Her father had arranged Amber to find her a partner.

It took her ten minutes to get out. By then, her father and Amber were already back at the table and the food had been served. Krystal had dried her face and ereased every piece of evidence that she had had a mental breakdown just a few moments ago. She tried to smile sweetly to her family and girlfriend, but she felt the corners of her mouth tug on her muscles when she tried to make it a big smile. It almost hurt. Amber and her father both smiled back and she couldn't help to feel utterly betrayed by both of them.  
That her father would do something like this behind her back wasn't that surprising. He wanted a good heir and Krystal wouldn't be one until she married a man of importance, despite her amazing grades and work experience. She wouldn't be good enough if she didn't marry someone her father liked. And her father defenitely didn't like Amber. Still, he asked her to help him to get her a man. Perhaps even he saw what a lady's girl Amber was. And perhaps his plan would have worked if Krystal wasn't bisexual. She would've never fallen in love with her, perhaps they'd become friends too. But his plan failed.  
But Amber... After all this time, after months of being with her, spending almost every day with her, of knowing her through and through, she had never expected Amber to betray her. She would have never thought that Amber would just make a complot with her father. Krystal felt bitter about it. She felt betrayed, hurt that her girlfriend was not the kind of person she pretended to be. Or well... perhaps she was.  
Krystal knew that this would happen. It had been a lower belly feeling when she had kissed Amber that first time. She knew what the girl was like. A troublemaker. A punk. Someone who doesn't care for others, but only for themself. It was exactly the kind of thing Amber would have done before they started dating. Krystal was foolish to think that she would change for her, or that there actually was someone genuinely sweet under that layer of roughness, dark clothing and tattoos.

When they started on their food, Krystal couldn't take more than a few bites of her favourite dish. It tasted like it had cucumbers in it, even though she knew it hadn't. It just felt wrong to eat and act happy now.  
Whilst Jessica kept her parents entertained, Krystal and Amber quietly ate their dinner. Amber sometimes tried to catch her eye, but Krystal pretended not to see her. She couldn't right now. It made her heart ache.

The dinner lasted and lasted until a point where Krystal was able to blurt out that she had heard her father and Amber talk just to get it off her chest. But she kept her mouth shut, praying that every passing second would bring her quickly closer to the end of this dinner. She needed time to think, to decide whether or not she was going to confront Amber. She had already made up her mind about her father. He simply didn't deserve another chance. Because he shaped her to be like him, she therefor couldn't give him another chance. Her father had made her hard, unbreakable, unbowable. She didn't accept this kind of behaviour of him and his chance for his daugther's genuine love was gone. Her father would understand since they were alike after all.  
But she was still doubting about Amber. Krystal could easily say that she was way more fond of her than her her father and therefor it was harder to make up her mind. Did she just let it slide and pretend nothing has ever happened? It surely would save their relationship. Amber would still be sweet to her; treat her like royalty. They could be happy. Only one more year and Krystal would move out. They wouldn't have to be bothered by her parents anymore.  
But from the deepest parts of her body she felt that she wouldn't be able to do that. She simply wouldn't be happy knowing that their relationship rested on the fact that Amber had needed to win her trust to set her up with someone else. Her plan had gone wrong and Krystal had fallen for her instead. Back then she had been sure that Amber liked her, but she wasn't so sure now. Was this all just a big game to her? Win over her heart, the girl who hated her the most. Date the most populair girl on campus besides her.  
It made her feel hollow.  
"You know, if you weren't hungry you could've told us so. I spend seventy dollars on your dinner alone and you haven't even taken more than a few bites," her father grumbled, when the waitress had finally cleared their table. Krystal had been too deep in thoughts to eat and now too it took her a few moments before she realized her father was talking to her.  
"I'm sorry.." she muttered. "I am not-"  
I am not feeling very well...  
"Never mind," she said softly.  
There fell a silence in which every pair of eyes was turned to her. Krystal looked down and wished they would look away. Everyone did, except Amber. Perhaps her gaze was the worst. She felt tears well up behind her eyes.  
"I will get our coats."  
Amber stood up from the table and walked off, leaving her with her parents and her sister. From the corners of her eyes she saw her walk away. A sigh left her mouth. When she looked at her girlfriend she couldn't help to admire how good she looked and feel a little proud that she was hers. Her hair pushed back, her blouse that spanned tightly around her muscled arms and shoulders... But that thougth immediately backfired at her when she realized Amber wasn't hers at all. In fact, Amber was wasn't hers at all. She showed that by extraditing her to her father this evening.

Amber returned to the table with a pile of coats in her arms. She handed them to her father, mother, Jessica and eventually to her. Her father payed the bill with a swipe of his credit card and the group walked back towards the parking lot.  
"So, Amber, it was nice to meet you. I'm sure we'll see you another time around. Good night, for now. Come on," her father said stiffly, whilst placing a hand on both of his daughter's back and leading them back to his car. Jessica walked along, but as soon Krystal noticed what was happening, she stopped. Her father turned back to look at her, one eyebrow risen.  
"I'm driving with Amber," she said stubbornly. Her father heard the determination in her voice, sighed and almost rolled his eyes before he gave her a short nod.  
"I want you home before 12 o'clock," he said.  
"I'm not a little kid anymore."  
"12 o'clock, Krystal."  
Krystal ignored him and walked towards a girlfriend. Amber smiled thankfully to her and wrapped her arm around her waist. For a moment she wanted to let her head rest against her shoulder because she was so worn out, but she kept herself from doing that. Krystal looked once over her shoulder only to see that Jessica was looking back at her with a worried expression. She tried to smile, but it didn't work. It probably would make Jess even more worried about her.

They stepped into Amber's car. Amber took her time putting on her seatbelt and starting the car. She even selected a radio station, even though she knew the best from all that there was no good radiostation at this hour. The lights of her father's car shone across the parking lot, making the other cars look almost creepy in it's bright light. Her father almost raced off the terrain. Only now Amber started the motor of her car and slowly backed up out of her parking place, before turning around and following her father to the highway, albeit a little slower. Neither of them said anything, until finally Amber cleared her throat.  
"Well, that was... intens, wasn't it?" she said a tad uncomfertable. Krystal nodded.  
"Yeah, it was.."  
"At least he didn't like, curse to me or something," she chuckled. Amber rolled up the sleeves of her blouse. On her upper arm were the outlines of a bruise that wasn't there before when they went to the restaurant. Krystal knew, because she had seen her change. Her mind immediately made the connection with her father.  
"Are you okay?"  
"Are you okay?"  
Both of the girls looked at each other in surprise. Amber chuckled, Krystal showed only a faint smile.  
"You first," Amber said.  
"Your arm, what happened?" she asked. Krystal hated herself for asking because she knew the answer. She'd only hear Amber lie again.  
And indeed, she did.  
"I hit myself. Surprising, isn't it? I bumped hard against a corner when I went to get the coats," she replied. "I'm fine though. I can handle a bruise. But... what about you? You seemed so absent during the dinner. You wouldn't even look at me."  
"I wouldn't look at you because I simply am not okay," she replied.


	14. Chapter thirteen

Amber almost hit the break when she heard Krystal's answer. Luckily she didn't, since they were currently driving on a highway with a speed of at least 70 mph. Krystal forced herself to look out of the window when Amber didn't immediately reply, regretting it a little bit that she had said anything at all. But there was no turning back. Amber would never believe it if she told a pretty white lie now.  
"What's up?" she asked. Her voice has grown softer, more tender, as if she was treating a wounded puppy. But Krystal wasn't a puppy. She kept stubbornly gaze out of the window.  
"You don't know?" Krystal replied coldly. There was another silence.  
"No, I do not," she eventually admitted. "Have I missed some hints?"  
The streetlights flashed past the more Amber sped up. Eventually she seemed to notice what she was doing, and slowed down to a reasonable speed again.  
"I don't think we should talk about it now," Krystal replied softly. She didn't want to get into an accident because she might stir up Amber. Perhaps she also needed some time to calm down. It would take Amber half an hour to drive back to her apartment, maybe she could contain herself a little bit. Perhaps, Amber would even let it slide and she had some time to compose herself. Maybe it wasn't all Amber's fault.  
But the more she thought about it, the angier she became. It was Amber's fault, no question.  
"Let's talk at home then," Amber said casually, as if all that was bothering Krystal a mean stomach ache. If only...

They arrived at Amber's apartment half an hour later. During the car ride, Krystal had kept her mouth shut, knowing well enough that if she said something now, she'd probably blurt out everything, even the mean little thoughts that evens he was ashamed of thinking. By now, she wondered if their relationship was going to get through this unless she had understood it all wrong. But she hadn't, she had heard enough to understand what has been going on between her father and Amber.  
Amber threw her keys on the kitchen table before even closing the door and grabbed a can of diet coke for both of them. Krystal wasn't thirsty. In fact, she didn't even want to stay here anymore. She had agreed upon staying the night with Amber, had already brought all her stuff here, but it simply felt wrong now. It almost felt dirty to be here. Whilst wrapping her arms around her body, she sat down on one of the chairs, knowing well enough that Amber wasn't stupid enough to forget her girlfriend felt bad.  
It only took Amber another minute before she took a chair too and sat down on it, with her chest towards the back of the chair and her arms leaning on it.  
"So what's wrong? Was it the dinner?" she asked considerately. Krystal almost had a break down because of her sweet voice and she hated herself for saying anything at all. But she knew she'd never be able to forget that conversation, it hurt her too much to just pretend nothing had happened. Her curiosity has ruined a perfect relationship. Hatred for herself was only mildly expressed how she felt right now. It was just so fucked up.  
"No, it wasn't the dinner," Krystal replied softly.  
"Then, was it your parents? Were they mean to you after I left to get the coats? Did they say anything?" Amber kept asking. But she shook her head.  
"No, I think they reacted very well, not as bad as I thought they would."  
"Come on, give me a clue here, Krys. What's up with you?" Amber asked, almost pleaded now. When Krystal looked up in those sad puppy eyes, she felt her heart ache. Her eyes turned away from her and fixated themselves on Amber's small apartment. Jack Jack's basket.. the dirty dishes in the sink.. the dirty yellow colour on the walls that once had been white but turned yellow-ish over the course of the years.. the creacking bed that sounded like it would wake up the whole building when she turned from her side to her belly... She knew that after tonight she would not sleep here anymore.  
"It's you..." she said. The words almost didn't left her mouth. Her voice was hoarse. Amber frowned her eyebrows and scratched the back of her neck.  
"What did I do wrong? Did I say something I shouldn't have?" she asked immediately. Krystal shook her head again. It saddened and angried her that Amber didn't know what she was talking about, that she still lied to her about her meeting with her father. Of course, she should have never known about it, but that didn't take away that it was simply lying.  
And suddenly something just snapped in her.  
"It's you!" she lashed out, causing Amber to bow back a few centimeters out of surprise. "It's you and my father! Don't pretend there's nothing wrong because there is. I heard you talk, I heard you-"  
"When we were outside?"  
"Of course when you were outside! I heard everything, Amber," she hissed. "How can you still lie to me? How can you consider not telling me that that night on the roof was not sincere at all! That you did that all because my father probably fucking paid you to find me someone he liked and turn me into his puppet! You knew about my life even back then, you knew it from your father, and you still decided to set me up in a complot I had no idea of so you could just earn some extra money. How do I even know you're not still lying? How do I know whether you truly liked me or not, or if you just moved with the flow to 'keep my trust with you'."  
Krystal was livid. Her whole body was shaking and she was breathing uncontrollably loudly through her nostrils. There was a moment where Amber could only look at her with a shocked expression on her face. The silence seemed to endure forever, until she finally cleared her throat.  
"You weren't supposed to hear that."  
Amber's voice sounded almost indifferent, causing Krystal to stand up with such a force that her chair fell over.  
"Yeah, I know," she barked. "I clearly wasn't supposed to know that you and my father made up a complot so I would be tied to some asshole. Obviously I wasn't supposed to fall for you, but, you know, 'you can't control who I love'. Also casually mentioning that we had sex to my father, I wasn't supposed to know that either!"  
Amber gulped audibly. She pressed her lips together until a thin line.  
"Your father was concerned about your future," she only said.  
"For crying out loud, is that all you have to say?" Krystal spit. "My father isn't concerned about me, he has never been. He's only concerned for his own future and Jung Internationals. If you don't know that by now I might as well leave now-"  
Krystal already turned around to stomp towards the door, but before she had taken more than a few steps, she felt Amber's hand lock around her wrist, sharply pulling her back. There was a tiny frown on her face, but overal it looked neutral, as if she didn't understand what was wrong.  
"You said you had heard the whole conversation. Then why are you making such a big deal about it?" she asked confusedly. Krystal huffed in surprise.  
"Why am I making such a big deal about it?" she mocked with a bad impression of Amber's voice. It was incredibly childish but she simply didn't care. "Can't you understand how insecure this makes me feel? For my whole life people have used me, I've never had someone who sincerely cared for me besides Jessica and then you prove to be different than I thought you'd be. You cared for me, that day on the roof. And I.. I liked you. I really did. And you weren't my first kiss, but you were my first real kiss, where I felt something stir inside of me that I liked, something that you awakened."   
She was on the edge of tears by now, her voice shaking and she tried with every muscle in her body to keep herself under control. But her facade was already slipping.  
"And today I find out, by eavesdropping, that you didn't care about me at all. I was supposed to fall in love with someone else, not with you. And you played along. You didn't say anything or turned me down but you played with my feelings and I don't know how long you have done that or if you're still doing that, Amber. Can't you understand that I don't know what's real and what's not real between us? I feel used and alone and I need someone to hold onto and you were the only person who was able to make me happy. But I just can't... I can't trust you anymore."  
Tears were now freely running over her cheeks. She was out of breath when she was done, finally spilling out what was bothering her. With trembling lips and eyes fluttering shut to ban the last tears from her eyes, she looked down, unable to look at Amber anymore. She whiped with the back of her hand the dampness from her face.  
Amber only looked her from her chair. The only thing that punctured the silence was Krystal's sniffling.  
"You haven't heard the whole story..." she eventually said. Krystal managed to open her eyes a little bit.  
"What?"  
"You haven't heard the whole story," repeated Amber. She frowned her eyebrows when Amber rose from her chair.  
"I-I did, I heard everything you said-"  
Amber chuckled softly.  
"But not the part about me telling your father off. You didn't hear how I told him I liked you. That I love you. You didn't hear anything of that?"  
Krystal felt like the colour had drained from her face, and it probably already had. In disbelief she looked at Amber, who has crossed her arms in front of her chest.  
"You-you said all of that?" she stuttered. Amber let out a laugh and ran with her hand through her hair.  
"I have. I told him that I liked you. And that's why I did it in the first place. There was something intrigueing about you that was hard to resist, especially when you hated me so badly. I knew my friend would not be a match for you, he would not please you the way I could. You needed someone challenging, someone that was on your level, because you, Krystal Jung, you need someone to battle with.  
I told him that it was not surprising you started to like me and that he should be glad to have me as his daughter's girlfriend because he is not going to find anyone who will take of you better than I will. I told him I loved you, something I hadn't told you yet because the time was not right yet.  
And yes, it used to be my intention to couple you to someone else, but that was mainly because I didn't think that you'd ever like me. But you did and I didn't want to tell you that I wasn't ever supposed to like you, that it'd be better if we wouldn't have kissed backstage that day. I couldn't do that because I liked you too. And nothing of our relationship was a lie. "  
Krystal felt like she was about to faint. Her mouth had dropped open, ready to yell out an 'I love you too' as soon as Amber was done. But Amber's explanation didn't make her feel better. It didn't make her feel good that it was all a mistunderstanding. There simply was no other source to confirm that Amber was telling the truth. Only her father would know, but he would never tell her. He'd deny that there was a conversation or a complot to save his own skin. She could only believe Amber... or she couldn't.  
That feeling kept nagging in her body, as if it was slowly eating up all her organs, devouring them bite by bite. What if she lied again? There was no way of knowing. What if she twisted the truth to save her own skin, just like her father? Krystal knew she had left early and hadn't heard everything, but could Amber really have said that to her dad? And if so, why didn't she tell her? The moment Krystal had accused her, she had acted as if nothing was wrong. She had kept up the lie until the moment it became clear Krystal had heard everything. And right now she suddenly claimed that she had told her father that she liked her from the start, that she loved her?  
It was simply too good to be true.  
Tears started to well up again. Her lowerlip just like her voice shook when she forced the words out of her mouth.  
"I simply can't believe you anymore, Amber."   
For a long moment, the two girls looked at each other. Amber's face changed from neutral to shocked and Krystal's face turned wet again because of the falling tears. Both of their bodies trembled.  
"What is that supposed to mean?" muttered Amber finally. Krystal tried to control a sob but it was in vain. It ripped through her body, breaking it apart. She covered her mouth with her hand and looked away for a second. It took her a few moments to compose herself long enough to speak again.  
"That it's over. We're over."  
Krystal couldn't recall a moment in her life when she felt so horrible as she felt now. Do you know how it feels to loose your soulmate? Krystal now did, and it felt like Satan himself had carefully picked out a punishment that was so painful even she was barely able to get through it. Inplanted in her heart, she felt as if her whole body crumbled down, broken down piece by piece. Her heart would slowly stop beating until it stopped forever. And perhaps, that was preferable, because right now Krystal was not able to live with the pain and she knew she would not be okay for a long time.  
Tears and sobs ripped through her body, helping to tear it apart. Her shoulders shook and she didn't care anymore how ugly she looked. All she wanted now was to get out of here, so she could say goodbye to her perfect relationship and her girlfriend in her own house, in her own room, where no one bothered her and she could grieve by herself.  
Amber had not moved from her chair, but was slowly rising. When she softly touched the back of Krystal's hand, it felt like a jolt of electricity ran through her body, causing Krystal to flinch in pain. She pulled her hand back.  
"Krystal Jung. I'm in love with you. I love you, like I have never loved anyone else," said Amber slowly, carefully pronouncing every word with the most utter precision. Krystal lifted her eyes up to her girlfriend, who looked panicked.  
"And I love you too," she said, with her broken voice. "And that's why I have to do this."  
Because if she didn't, she would stay with Amber. She would stay here and love her and be good to her, knowing well that Amber was a liar and that was not to be trusted. If she had lied about this, what else had she lied about just to make her love her?  
Krystal knew very well that perhaps her diagnosis could be wrong all along, that Amber spoke the truth and that she indeed had told her father that she liked her and loved her and would treat her well. But there was no way of knowing. And if Krystal didn't knew for one hundred percent that Amber hadn't lied, then there always would be a feeling of insecureness and uncomfertableness whenever she would be with Amber. And she didn't want that, she couldn't handle that, how great Amber might be.  
This was the end.

Krystal sought her stuff, collected everything that belonged to her and stuffed it into her backpack that would initially been used for the sleepover. Amber watched and stood by helplessly, almost as if her soul had already left her body. With open mouth she stared how a sniffling Krystal desperately tried to get the last of her stuff into her backpack. It wouldn't fit and it made her cry again, until Amber finally roughly yanked the backpack away from her , put the shirt she had been trying to fit in on top and closed the zipper with little effort. She gave it back to her.  
Krystal wanted to say 'thank you' but her mouth had been sewn shut, so she could only nod. They avoided each other's gaze and only stared at the ground, both with tears in their eyes and trembling hands. Krystal hated herself. She wanted to stay so badly with her, to tell her she didn't mean it, that they could start over and leave this all behind them, but she simply didn't believe anymore that it could ever the same. Their relationship wouldn't be innocent and precious and perfect anymore. It would be stained with flaws now that both had seen each other's darker parts. And Krystal had gone through much and had knew too many untrustworthy people that she couldn't stand it that her girlfriend was one too.  
"I will go now," she announced, when she slung the backpack over her shoulder. It was a funny sight: a girl with a with make-up besmeared face, a pretty dress, heels and a backpack that could burst at any moment on her back. You'd ask her what kind of day she had been through.  
Amber didn't say anything, didn't even nod or give off any sign that she had heard her. Perhaps she hadn't. It looked like she was in shock. This was the first time she had seen Amber so utterly panicked, Krystal thought. Maybe this was one of the few things that really affected the great Amber Josephine Liu.  
Krystal walked to the door and god, she hoped so much that Amber would stop her. But she felt no fingers curl around her wrist to pull her back. She didn't even hear footsteps. Amber had not moved an inch.  
She became incredibly aware how her fingers curled around the cold metal doorknob, turning it around to open it the door. Krystal was aware of every breath, every footstep she took. How her fingers slightly squeezed the knob to make her hand feel numb. The door creaked, just like the bed, enormously when she opened it. The cold air of the hallway hit her like a bomb. Goosebumps appeared all over her body. She stepped with one foot slowly through the door, so Amber would still have time to stop her.  
The other foot joined the first and she now had left the apartment. Krystal had to force herself to look foreward and not over her shoulder. If she would have done that, she defenitely wouldn't be able to leave anymore. It was a miracle already that she had come this far already. For a moment, she just waited, waiting for Amber to come and get her. But as the seconds passed, her hope vanished. Slowly she let the door fall shut. The thud of the door falling into its lock broke her heart.

Krystal took a shaky breath and ran with her hand through her hair. It was a bit tangled, causing her fingers to get stuck. With frustration she pulled her hand back and pressed her lips firmly upon each other. She walked down the stairs because she wanted to get out as soon as possible here as soon as possible now that she had finally closen the door. It was actually over, she realized. She looked around, knowing that this was the last time she'd be here.  
When she had already opened the door in the hall, she heard a few loud thuds coming from behind of her, on the stairs. Krystal made the mistake to look over her shoulder and see how Amber raced down the stairs. When their eyes met, she stopped, a few steps above the floor. There was a silence.  
"Krystal.." said Amber softly. She didn't reply. Another silence. This one seemed to last forever. Amber's eyes looked so utterly sad that Krystal felt like she had kicked a puppy. But like her, Amber was neither a puppy. She felt tears welling up in her eyes again.  
"Remember me."  
Krystal huffed. One of the corners of her mouth turned upwards into a somewhat mocking smile. She whiped the single tear that had escaped her sockets and was now rolling down her cheek away with the back of her hand.  
"How can I forget the first person I ever fell in love with?" she replied. And with those words, she stepped outside and let the door fall shut.


	15. Chapter fourteen

Krystal walked for a couple of blocks first before she called Jessica. She didn't want to wait for her sister right outside of Amber's apartment complex — because that'd be simply unbearable — and she needed some time to calm down and wash her face. Perhaps, if she fixed herself up, her sister wouldn't ask anything...

She stepped into a random restaurant, asking shamelessly if she could use the bathroom. With her ruffled hair, run out make-up and her weird appearance, the young girl immediately directed her to the common bathroom. Luckily no one was there when she entered, so she could fix herself up. She washed all the make-up off her face, so she looked a little presentable again. Her eyes were still red and puffy and filled with the leftovers of her tears because of the crying earlier, but there was simply no way to fix that. Hopefully her eyes had grown back normal when Jessica arrived.  
She changed in one of the stalls out of her dress and back into jeans and a simple tee. With diffeculty she got the dress back in and she wondered how Amber had zipped her bag so quickly. The thought of Amber made her heart ache, and it was almost enough to make her start crying all over again. With diffeculty she blinked her tears away, but she had to calm down for five minutes after that.  
Finally, she was done, and got out of the restrooms. It had taken her at least a quarter, and when she came back into the café, she decided to buy a cup of coffee as a thank you while she waited for Jessica. She paid and took the damping carton cup in her right hand while she dialed her sister's number with her left. It only took only a few seconds before she heard her sister pick up the phone.  
"Can you pick me up?" Krystal asked, a bit ashamed. She gave the adress. Jessica only hummed before she hung up again.

Krystal decided to get out of the little café, since more and more people seemed to stare at her. Or maybe it just felt like that because she felt incredibly empty right now. Now that her tears were dried, the feeling suddenly hit her how alone she was. Only this afternoon she had been worrying about losing her parents, but at least she still would have the two people who loved her unconditionally: Jessica and Amber. Now she lost Amber but kept her parents. Krystal wished it was the other way around.  
With the cup in her hand she walked out, taking big sips of her drink so she burned her tongue. The pain spread through her mouth like something sweet to ban the numbness from her body. It only took ten minutes before Jessica stopped in front of the café. Because it was dark, as well outside as inside the car, Krystal couldn't see her face well. She just hoped Jessica wouldn't see notice anything different about her.

Krystal opened the door and sat down on the passengers seat. She noticed from the corner of her eye that her sister turned her head towards her, letting her eyes slide over her face to examine every inch. Krystal coughed softly and looked out of the window. Jessica didn't say anything and just started the engine again. She turned up the radio as well before driving away. Quickly Krystal shot a look at the song that was about to play, and she softly cursed herself.  
It had been in vain to think Jessica wouldn't notice anything about her.  
The song was Christina Aguilera's Hurt, the song her sister knew would make Krystal so emotional that she'd spill out everything. Only when nothing was wrong, she'd be able to listen with it and sing along to the regretful words with full confidence. But right after the break up, only the first sentence was able to make her eyes watery again.

Oh, how much she hated Jess.  
Seems like it was yesterday when I saw your face  
You told me how proud you were, but I walked away  
If only I knew what I know today

Krystal took a deep and shaky breath, trying to compose herself, but the first tears already started to leak out of her eyes. Jessica drove away from the café and turned onto the highway. Krystal let her head rest against the window, mouthing the lyrics to the song, trying so hard to keep herself from sobbing.

I would hold you in my arms  
I would take the pain away  
Thank you for all you've done  
Forgive all your mistakes  
There's nothing I wouldn't do  
To hear your voice again  
Sometimes I wanna call you  
But I know you won't be there

Oh I'm sorry for blaming you  
For everything I just couldn't do  
And I've hurt myself by hurting you

It took every muscle in her body to keep her shoulders from shaking and a sob to emerge from the back of her throat. She clenched her teeth so hard that it felt like they would break and her nails digged deeply into her skin. To prevent Jessica from seeing her crying, she turned her back towards her as much as she could and looked out of the window whilst they raced past the other cars. It had started to rain, and the window was covered in little drops.

Some days I feel broken inside  
but I won't admit  
Sometimes I just wanna hide  
'cause it's you I miss  
And it's so hard to say goodbye  
When it comes to these rules

Would you tell me I was wrong?  
Would you help understand?  
Are you looking down upon me?  
Are you proud of who I am?

There's nothing I wouldn't do  
To have just one more chance  
To look into your eyes  
And see you looking back

...

If I had just on emore day  
I would tell you how much that I've missed you  
Since you've been away  
Ooh it's dangerous  
It's so out of line  
To try and turn back time

It took a few more seconds before the song ended, and when it did, Krystal was holding in her breath to stop herself from sobbing, but the tears flowed freely over her cheeks, down from her chin and onto her clean blouse. Jessica turned off the radio.  
"Nice song, isn't it?" she asked.  
"O-oh, fu-fu-fuck you," Krystal spat to her. She turned around to shoot her sister a foul look, but she reckoned it would have little effect because she was still crying. Krystal sniffed. Jessica kept looking at the road.  
"What's wrong, Krystal?" Jessica asked. Her voice had grown more tender.  
Krystal looked up and whiped the tears off her face, but more kept falling and falling. She kept sniffling. When she tried to speak, all that came out was a little whine. So hard she tried to control herself again, but it took her at least ten minutes to recover from the song before she was able to answer Jessica. By then, her sister had already figured out.  
"Amber and I-"  
"You broke up," Jessica answered for her. "Did she broke up with you?"  
For a moment, Krystal wished Jessica was right. It would've been easier to deal with that Amber didn't like her anymore, or cheated or just simply had grown bored of her. That way she could recover quickly and stronger than before, knowing that Amber didn't deserve her love and that she needed to find someone better.  
But it wasn't like that. She had broken up with Amber because of the fear that Amber had betrayed her. And perhaps she had told her father that she loved her or perhaps she hadn't, there simply was no way of knowing. Krystal wasn't the kind of woman who gambled, especially when it was about her own heart. She had spent years protecting it and she wouldn't let someone break it so easily.  
Krystal shook her head. Jessica frowned.  
"Mom and dad aren't worth breaking up for," her sister replied. Krystal shook her head again.  
"I-it's not because of mom and dad... well, not about mom anyway," she muttered. The older sister lifted one of her eyebrows and frowned afterwards.  
"Then why did you break up with her?" she asked. Krystal took another breath and ran with her hand through her hair. For a moment, she closed her eyes and let her head rest against the car window again. Once she had them closed, she felt how tired she actually was. She had no energy left to explain it all to her sister.  
"Don't bring me home, Jess..." she muttered against the glass.  
Jessica remained silent as they drove on. The radio stayed off. The only sound that accompanied them was the purring of the engine, the honks of the other cars and the rain drippin on the roof. Krystal kept her eyes shut, in fear that she would start crying again.

The drive to Jessica's appartment seemed endless. Neither of them had said anything since the ending of their converstaion. It was well past midnight when they finally stepped into the small apartment. The familiar smell of her sister's parfume mixed with her latest cooking creations entered her nose. Krystal straight went to the bedroom, already undressing herself in the hallway because she wanted to step immediately into her sister's large bed.  
Jessica's room was messy, which was a surprise because her sister usually was very clean. She heard her call for her from the living room but Krystal didn't reply. Instead she stepped out of her jeans and pulled the covers from the freshly made bed. The sheets still smelled like soap, she noticed. Her sister came after her but Krystal had already turned onto her side, with the covers pulled up to her chin when she entered the bedroom. She heard Jessica sigh and walk off again.  
A quarter later her sister joined her in the bed, carefully lifting the sheets and getting in. Krystal was far from falling asleep, but when Jessica told her good night, she didn't react. She just squeezed her eyes shut and hoped she would not dream of Amber that night.

And indeed, she didn't dream of Amber. Krystal had slept so deeply that she felt even emptier when she woke up, as if the night had drained her from her energy even more.  
The curtains had already been opened by her sister, causing the too bright morning sun to shine into the bedroom, irritating her already after a few moments of waking up. Krystal growned and covered her face with the sheets. The sunrays were so strong that they even shone through the white covers, causing Krystal to eventually throw them off of her and get out. She sighed and stretched before walking over to her sister's closet. Since they had roughly the same size, Krystal just took one of Jessica's sweaters. She was lucky her sister had even some ready, because Jessica wasn't exactly the kind of person who wore over-sized sweaters, not even to bed. Unlike her younger sister, Jessica was always fashionable, whilst Krystal often liked to just spend days in a row in just her pyjama's if she could.  
The sweater just covered her bottom, which made her sigh in annoyance again. Jessica was smaller than she was, causing her clothes to be tinier too. Unlike her own sweaters, who reached well past half of her upper legs, her sister's stopped at the beginning of her legs. She felt bare, almost naked which obviously contributed to her shitty feeling.  
Krystal had never experienced a broken heart before. Yes, she had dated before but it had always been her who had broken up with them without a hint of mercy in her eyes. Boys had been something to pass the time with; to practase her kissing skills; to prepare for the first person who really made her feel like she was flying. That's why she wasn't prepared for the painful aching in her chest. She had always thought that a broken heart was just mental pain, but it felt physical too, as if her heart had trouble pumping the blood through her veins now that Amber was gone.  
Her limbs felt heavy and walking was diffecult, despite having slept for ten hours at least. Her mind was cloudy and her body felt empty, like she was just some air trapped by skin. A walking balloon.  
She was not hungry, as balloons could not be hungry. Neither thirsty, or feeling the need to even live today.

Krystal realized she had been staring outside when Jessica called her over from the kitchen.  
"Krystal, I know you're awake, come here to get breakfast!"  
She snapped out of her trance and cleared her throat, before walking off. Perhaps she should get something to eat. It'd make her feel alive again.  
Jessica was stirring in a pan when Krystal entered, looking up with a tender smile. Krystal forced herself to smile back, but she felt how the muscles tugged at the corners of her mouth, almost pulling them down instantly again. The fact that she couldn't even fake a smile anymore felt like a slap in the face. Never had she know that one person could affect her so much, let alone someone like Amber. Even when the worst things had been happening to her in the past, she had always been able to lie and smile. Now even that had been taken away from her.  
Krystal sat down at the kitchen island. Jessica immediately put a plate with fresh toast and scrambled eggs in front of her. With some diffeculty she took her fork and knife and started. The food tasted like wet paperboard, and that wasn't Jessica's fault for a change.  
"Are you still going to tell me what happened?"  
"There isn't much to tell," Krystal answered. "We broke up."  
Jessica snorted.  
"No, you broke up with the person who might as well be the one. I saw you looked at her during the dinner, like nothing and no one could match Amber's beauty. You love her and you broke up with her. I know you, Krystal, you do not break up with someone you love. Even when we fight you only stay mad for a day at most and then you return to me with your tail between your legs to apologize. Amber means more to you than I do. So I can't possibly imagine what must've happened between you in that short life span that would make you break up with her."  
Krystal had stopped eating and was now staring at her sister. Had she mentioned yet that she hated her sister? More precisely, her sister's intelligence.  
"She betrayed me. With dad. They complotted against me," she said coldly. Quickly she gave her sister a summary of what she had heard last evening, the conversation with her father and Amber. She also told her that she had confronted Amber, and that Amber had lied again. She didn't tell her that there might be an equal chance that Amber had spoken the truth, but that she was too much of a coward to risk anything.  
Jessica stayed silent during the story, frowning a little bit and her hand in front of her mouth. Only when Krystal was done and put another bite into her mouth - the food still tasted like paperboard - she took her hand away from her face and sighed.  
"You're stupid, do you know that?" she muttered. "You could've asked dad the truth, you would've known if she was lying or not."  
Krystal snorted. "As if I didn't think of that. Do you believe father would ever tell me the truth? If he would, he'd also admit plotting against me, to set me up with someone he ha approved of, of controlling my life. Perhaps that was acceptable twenty years ago but we live in 2017 now, Jess. He can't do that and otherwise I even have the authority to turn him in if I want to. And daddy would like his perfect image to be smudged now, would he?" she mocked bitterly. "He'll never tell the truth. So there's no way of knowing if Amber told the truth or not."  
Jessica huffed, rolled her eyes and shook her head.  
"You're still stupid," he hissed. "So what dad won't tell you the truth? There's a 50/50-percent chance that she did tell the truth. Any smart person would choose the 50 percent that'd make them happy, which in your case would be staying with her. And yes, perhaps she had lied to, there is a chance she did, but you can just believe not to. She isn't going to tell you if she did, so you can choose to believe the lie she told you, if it's a lie at all. Only a stupid person would choose for something that'd make them unhappy."  
"Thanks for pointing out I'm stupid so much," Krystal grumbled. Jessica chuckled.  
"Well, you are."  
"Fine. But what if I make myself unhappy? It has never been about me being happy. It's about honour. And no, I won't go back to Amber just because there's a chance that she isn't lying. The chance that she is lying is too big and if she really is lying, I'm twice as stupid. So no thank you," she replied.  
Her sister rolled her eyes.  
"You know, Krystal. I'm your sister and I care for you and I'd love to take you in for a couple of weeks, but you're being childish right now. I do not support you in this decision. You're unnecessary causing harm to yourself and that poor girl. I believe I know the reason why they call us our father's Ice Princesses now."  
Jessica flashed her a small smile, before turning around to walk off towards the bathroom, leaving Krystal with an empty, regretful feeling in her stomach. Was her sister right?

**EIGHT YEARS LATER  
—————————————————————————————————————————**

Krystal's inauguration, that's what they called it.  
She had succesfully graduated from the university, obtaining her degree in economics. For four more years she worked at Jung Internationals, to build experience. Starting off as a simply intern, then slowly moving over to jobs which required more skill and more leadership. Of course, she didn't earn them the way the other employees did, but her father did want her to go through almost every single job in the company to know what his — and soon her — employees were up to and how diffecult their jobs were, so that she could be the kind of CEO later that listens to the plights of her people. Krystal started off as the coffee lady that fixed her father and her father's clients their drinks during a meeting, and she wasn't at all bothered by that.  
Finally the four years had passed and it was time for her to shine as her father's vice president, his right hand, his second, the one who takes over when something happens. And even though she hadn't been bothered by making copies for everyone, faxing the details or getting someone coffee, she preferred to be the one who gave the instructions instead of realizing it.

Her father was a man who was rather generous with his money, especially when his children were involved. Nothing stopped him from throwing her some sort of welcome-party in the enormous hall of the Jung Internationals head quarter when he had finally announced to the media that his daughter would follow him up. He already was a man well in his fifties and he said it wouldn't take long before he'd retire. A few more years to let his daughter get used to her position, then he'll leave the company in her hands, content that he had brought up his daughter so well.  
Her father wasn't only a generous man, but also very cocky. He liked to show off with everything he has got. The latest sport's car, buying another extra house, getting his friends and family the latest gadgets... But his favourite thing to brag with was his daughter.  
From the moment she was born he loved to show his daughter to the world, almost like they did with the birth of the little lion cub Simba in the Lion King. Whenever she made a nice drawing as a child, he praised her. When she got another A in class, he bought her a present. Her father kept her grades framed in his office to whenever one of his clients noticed the small list of A's, he'd ask him about his daughter, giving Mr. Jung another chance to brag with his child. Krystal hadn't noticed that until she was a year of fifteen, when it started to become very obvious that a lot of father's clients knew about her prestations at school. They congratulated her on her excellent list when she hadn't even showed it to them. She didn't like it at first, that people whom she didn't know knew about her grades, but her father promised her that he only showed her grades to other people to brag because he was so proud of her. The older she became, the less interested she became in what people thought of her.  
Amber Liu had learned her that, mostly. With her bold attitude and often an expression on her face that she wouldn't even give a damn even if the world would be desroyed in a few minutes. You shouldn't be afraid of anyone when it comes to showing who you really are, even if that meant breaking old relationships and forming new ones to become happy again. Krystal had hid her sexuality, but was nowadays open about that sensitive part of herself. The United States was quite open when it came to sexuality, especially when she was "only" bisexual, meaning that she was still able to date men and fit in the heteronormative society. It had bothered her a couple of times that people thought that way, because she had always been the kind of woman who preferred the same gender more than the opposite gender, but knowing that she would not be accepted in the higher classes, she had never called anyone out upon it. Because claiming "Hey, I like the same gender actually more han the opposite gender" was almost equivalent to being a lesbian, and she neither was that. Even though she had worked upon becoming the person she really wanted to be, and had completed that, she still was hiding a part of her sexuality.  
Especially when Kai was with her.  
Kai: her boyfriend; her fiancé; the son of one of her father's clients; handsome as hell in a suit; an intelligent and deep mind; has a generous, free, funny personality; her ideal match.  
At least, that's what many believed. Her father had given him his blessing the moment Krystal introduced him as her boyfriend. Obviously he did, because he had been the one who had introduced him to her.  
At the moment she first met him, she had promised to herself to not let her father win and date this man. Lateron, she had accidentally broken that promise by sleeping with him on a drunken evening. After that, he was just too sweet to turn down. With guilt in her lower belly, Krystal had started a relationship with him and had not ended it ever since then. Four years she had dated him until he finally asked her hand in marriage. Krystal had said yes.  
But she didn't love Kai.  
At least, she didn't love Kai the way she had loved Amber. That name still caused her heart to twist painfully in her chest and a frown to appear on her face. But she tried not to think of her at all, that made it easier. She knew she was pathetic to hang onto someone so long, but since their break up no one had been able to stir her as much as Amber had. It was hard to fall in love again when no one made her belly twist and her heart jump up in delight like Amber.  
Kai was a sweetheart. He was a true gentleman. Making her breakfast in the morning, doing his chores in the house perfectly, bringing her flowers, occasionally buying her beautiful jewelry for no special reason, holding the door for her, going out with her at least once a week, treating her like a true princess. It was sweet, but she didn't need someone who was like that. She needed someone who would fight back and accidentally hurt her but would always apologize after. She needed someone who made her desire stir up and make her fantasize about sex in places other than the bed. She needed someone who wasn't like her or brought up like her but could show her another side of the world than just the upper class. He was too innocent. The world had been delivered to him on a silver platter. Krystal needed someone different than Kai.  
But the wedding was in a few weeks. She had already shopped for a dress and all the arrangements were made. Her father had promised that as soon as she got married, she would be perfect. To him, his daughter would only be complete with a man at her side.

Jessica waved her hand in front of her face to make her snap back into reality. Krystal blinked a few times and looked up at her sister. She hung on the arm of her handsome boyfriend, that she — contradictory to her — did love truly. She knew how happy her sister was and this was the first time she had brought him to a formal party. He looked handsome in his suit.  
"Earth to Krystal!" chuckled her sister. "Your husband is looking for you."  
"He's not my husband," she replied coldly. Jess knew she hated it when she called Kai that way. It made it even scarier to marry him. Nevertheless, her sister shrugged.  
"He's at the bar," said Jessica. Krystal gave her a small smile and nodded, getting up from her chair to walk over to the bar.  
The speeches had already been made and everyone had been served food. By now, only the people who really mattered stayed to have a drink with each other. It seemed more like an ordinary party now than it had a couple of hours ago. But Krystal was glad Kai was at the bar, because she really needed a drink too to ban out her melancholic feelings.  
While she walked towards the bar, she looked down at the ground, not really paying attention. She could've known she'd bump into someone, but she still looked up angry when her shoulder hit someone else's hard. With a look of deep annoyance on her face she looked up, at first noticing the fancy black shoes and tight black pants around well-formed, muscly legs. Expecting to see some son of one of the CEO's of the bigger companies, alongside Jung Internationals, she had already opened her mouth to hiss that he should look out where he was going. Only, she realized, it wasn't a male.  
But she was a daughter of one of the CEO's.


	16. Chapter fifteen

Krystal stared in those deep, dark eyes... and they stared back at her.  
Unconsciously, she let her gaze run over her face, trying to find any changes in her appearance in comparison to her memories. Her nose was the same, her eyes had the same cocky look in them, her mouth still held those kissable lips that had only gotten more attractive over time...  
She wore a black blouse that had once been tugged into her dark gray jeans, by the sight of the wrinkles. The upper two buttons were loose, giving Krystal just enough sight to see where her breast started. She wore classic black shoes to give her outfit a fancy tint.  
But had her jaw line gotten sharper? Had she lost weight? By the look of her body she hadn't, perhaps even gained some. There was a new helix piercing in either of her ears and her sleeve of tattoos had expanded itself all the way up to her shoulder and past. She looked older by the wrinkles in her face and because of her pushed up hair that wasn't black anymore, but a sandy brown with darker undertones. Matured by age, Amber Josephine Liu was more attractive than she had been eight years ago.  
And all Krystal could do was just stare while her heart jumped and her belly filled itself with that special tickly feeling that she hadn't felt in so many years.  
She opend her mouth to say something, but not she was too slow.  
"Krystal, I'd almost think you lost your graciousness," chuckled Amber lowly. Her voice was felt like a hit in the face. Perhaps that was why her cheeks turned red.  
"Why-why are you here?" she blurted out. Her voice was too high and hoarse to sound normal.  
"Well, I was invited. I wouldn't want to miss your inauguration, would I?" she laughed, before winking. Krystal stared her with an open mouth. She wanted to say so much more, but before she could even just clear her throat, she heard someone call her from in the distance.  
Kai had spotted her in the mass of people, and was now making his way through them to get to her, friendly pushing them aside or asking of they could move so he could get to his girlfriend. Krystal and Amber looked both up to him, although Amber with the smug smile that hadn't changed in those eight years and Krystal with a straight face.  
"Why do you let your fiancé wait so long? I was hoping to catch a drink with you, Krystal," Kai said smiling, when he was only a few metres away. Amber started to laugh, and didn't even try to hide her amusement.  
"Fiancé? You sure have been busy, have you?" she laughed. Kai looked away from his girlfriend to Amber. The sweet smile slowly faded from his face and his eyebrows knotted together. For a moment, he let his eyes run over Amber, then turned back to Krystal.  
"Who's that?" he asked, completely ignoring Amber's presence.  
"Oh of course, we have never met before. I'm Amber Liu. My father is the Chairman of Liu Economics. Nice to meet you," Amber said, in an exeggarated posh accent, which made Kai frown even deeper.  
"Do you two know each other?" he asked Krystal. Before she could shake her head, Amber started to chuckle again.  
"Of course we do. Very well, in fact."  
"From wha-"  
"It doesn't matter how we know each other," Krystal snapped. "It has been a long time since we met. We're practically strangers."  
Amber shrugged.  
"Might be, but people barely change. I knew you once, I still know you. And-"  
"AMBER!"  
From the crowd came a high pitched yell, making all three of them turn around to face whoever was yelling. Much quicker and clumsier, a young woman came racing towards them in her stiletto's. Amber started to grin and chuckle. Krystal and Kai both raised their eyebrows, although Kai curiously and Krystal sceptically. The woman stopped when she had reached them, and immediately twisted her arm through Amber's, pressing her body so close towards her that Krystal couldn't surpress a small frown. With a smile that was as bright as beams of sunlight, the woman turned towards them.  
She was tiny, despite her heels, and knew how to use her body. With a tight black dress that ended barely over her ass, long straight hair that just met her shoulders, sweet brown eyes and natural make-up on her face, she was a sight of sore eyes. Krystal's stomach twisted.  
"Let me introduce you to my girlfriend, Krystal. This is Luna."  
Krystal's mind immediately went the wrong places when Amber introduced Luna as her girlfriend. She pictured them how they used to be, cuddled up on the couch, Amber striking a loose strand of hair behind her ear and flashing her sweet smiles, kissing her softly on the lips, carassing her when she felt bad, hugging her from behind when she cooked for her, being the bigger spoon when they laid together in bed...  
Her stomach turned.  
But didn't she know her from somewhere? The shape of her face, that dazzling smile and most of all the name, it made her start to wonder if she hadn't seen her somewhere. Had they attended the same high school? Had they shared a class together at the university? It was at the tip of her tongue...  
"Luna? Aren't you that new artist? You know, with Free Somebody?" Kai asked before she could. He did a terrible expression of the chorus, making both Amber and Luna laugh. Luna's chuckle was sweet and high and nice to listen to. Krystal knew she'd hate this girl before the evening was over.  
"Yes, that's me," she said, with a hint of shyness in her voice.  
"Ah wow, I'm such a fan! Your album was amazing. Didn't you write My Medicine for your mother?" asked Kai curiously. Luna laughed sweetly and nodded.  
"I did. She loved it!" she exclaimed.  
"Really, that's awesome! Actually, why don't you two come and sit with us tonight? I was just having a drink with Krystal, you should come!" Kai said.  
Krystal immediately shot him a warning glance as discreetly as she could, but he didn't see her angry look. And she couldn't make him aware without being noticed, so she just kept staring at him hoping that he'd notice the clue. Of course he didn't.  
Luna and Amber exchanged a look, but both smiled after a matter of milliseconds and turned back towards her and Kai.  
"Of course, we'd love to!" Luna chimed. Amber smiled widely too. Krystal bit down upon her lip and nodded stiffly, whilst Kai showed the other two a big grin. He wrapped her arm around her waist and pulled her closer. In response, Amber took Luna's hand. For a moment, it almost seemed like she endearingly smiled to Krystal, but when she blinked again, Amber's eyes had moved and her smile had grown kinder. Had she just imagined that?  
Kai led them all to a quieter corner, with a few lounge couches. He asked Amber and Luna what they wanted to drink — pure whiskey and white wine — and walked off, not needing to know her favourite drink because they had been together for so long it'd be shameful to even ask.  
An awkward silence settled in between them, one that Krystal didn't dare to break. She had crossed her legs and her arms, looking down to the ground to avoid Amber's eyes and especially Luna's. To see the somewhat older woman who had made a career in the same branch Amber worked at so close to the woman she used to love almost crumbled her heart. To see how they intertwined their fingers and how Amber had laid her arm over Luna's shoulders, pulling her closer to so that Luna was almost on her lap made her sick to her stomach. And let's not forget the soft whispering, sometimes broken apart by some giggles or the light sound of Luna's laughter, and the kissing noises she heard. It drove her crazy, right over the edge in a matter of seconds.  
The longer she stared to the floor, the angrier she became. Not just at Amber, but mostly at herself.  
How could she let Amber Josephine Liu get to her head again? It felt like she was a college student all over again. The troublemaker made her feel annoyed all over again with the exact same behaviour she displayed during college. Amber had not changed a single bit and still was the obvious play girl who loved to toy with girls' hearts, keeping herself amused until she grew bored of them and broke up with them. Krystal hadn't heard anything in the news about Amber and Luna's relationship, but perhaps they hadn't come out yet, so she doubted the two were thick. At least, that was what she hoped.  
Realizing that she hoped Amber and Luna were only just dating, or just dating to pass the time made her even angrier at herself. How did she even dare to try to think of that? Why would she even want to hope that they were at the edge of breaking up? They didn't seem to be, that's what made it even worse. Krystal had caught herself hoping that they would break their beautiful relationship so she would feel a little better.  
Knowing that Amber was in a shitty relationship too would make her feel better. That not only she had fucked up her life and was about to marry someone she didn't love at all.  
She hated herself for even thinking that. Of course she wanted Amber to be happy after all that had happened between them. Amber deserved someone too who would take care of her well. Krystal had Kai, her Prince Charming, her fiancé, her soon-to-be-husband. Didn't Amber deserve Luna too?  
At that thought, Krystal felt how her stomach clenched together and a frown grow on her face.

Kai returned with their drinks, placing a whiskey in front of Amber, a white wine in front of Luna, a red one in front of Krystal and took his own mixed drink in his hand. He sat down next to her and at the sight of Amber and Luna, he took Krystal closer too. She could smell his aftershave; she had never liked it much. It was too strong. During the course of the night his deodorant had worn off and her fiancé now wore the smell of sweat odouring from under his armpits.  
Krystal immediately tried to move away from him, but his arms felt like iron around her body; she could only just more to grab her drink. Luna followed her lead and took a sip from her wine as well. The big difference between Krystal and Luna was now that Luna took tiny little sips whilst Krystal tried to empty her glass in one go. The alcohol burned slightly in her throat, but it wasn't enough to make her not notice how Luna let her and Amber's fingers intertwine. She felt nauseous.

During the course of the evening, their glasses were refilled a couple of times. After her first glass of wine — which was way too light for the situation she was in now — Krystal switched to whiskey too. Kai had given her a strange look, since he had never seen her drink whiskey before. The first sip was amazing. Her throat burned and she loved the feeling of physical pain over the emotional pain she was going through now.  
She didn't participate much in the conversation, often dozing off in her own thoughts — which were mainly shameful fantasies about her and Amber being back together again — without noticing that there was being spoken to her. Sometimes she chuckled along to a joke Luna made, but that was all. For once in her life she was glad Kai was with her.  
Krystal couldn't help to notice that Amber was weirdly quiet as well. Perhaps, had she grown quieter over the course of the years? It didn't seem likely, but was there another explanation? Krystal found herself matching Amber's drinking speed and together they devoured drink after drink.  
"Slow down, tiger, we still need to drive home, you know?" Kai once chuckled. Krystal had shot him a glare that told him to shut his mouth. It was her party, could she not get wasted because her incredible sexy ex was right in front of her with another girl on her lap and she was stuck with some boring man?  
Amber had merely chuckled at her gaze and emptied her own glass as well.

Near midnight, a man stapped towards the group of four. He surprised Luna by placing his hands over her eyes from behind.  
"JAMES!" Luna immediately chimed and she slapped his hands away. She jumped up from the couch and into the arms of the male. Krystal and Kai exchanged a look. Amber looked at her girlfriend hugging her friend with a smile on her face. Luna and James took a moment to quickly catch up on somethings by both ranting in a high pitched, quick voice to each other. The conversation was hard to follow for an outsider and Krystal already had trouble concentrating because of the alcohol. She could already feel her head get fuzzy and she knew she wasn't far from being drunk.  
After a few minutes, Luna turned towards Amber with an apologetical smile on her face.  
"Do you mind if I go with James? I kind of promised to see his new apartment a few days ago," Luna said. Amber shrugged and showed her a smile.  
"Of course not, you go ahead. I'll see you tomorrow at work," she replied. Luna grinned widely, bowed down and planted a sloppy kiss on Amber's cheek. The troublemaker closed her eyes for a moment, then watched Luna go with James, her arm hooked through his, still chatting at that loud quick tone.  
A silence settled between them once Luna was out of sight. Krystal and Amber had stayed mainly quiet during the whole evening. The conversation was led by Kai and Luna, both the most talkative of the two couples. Now that Luna was gone, Kai had no one to talk to and for some reason Amber wasn't that appealing.  
In Krystal's eyes, she was and she could not understand that Amber wasn't interesting enough to ask about. If she hadn't known everything about her already, she would have been so curious about her. Amber was mysterious, the way she sat with her legs slightly spread and her dark eyes on everything and everyone, observing them quietly. That smug smile on her face, like she had just discovered the answers to every single question in the world. Her cocky way of straightening her back or tilting her head slightly to the left when she knew she was right. It was downright intrigueing. How could Kai not think so?

After a few minutes of silence and sipping drinks silently, Kai cleared his throat.  
"Shall I get us some more drinks then? Two whiskey?" he said. Amber and Krystal nodded without saying at thing. Her awkward fiancé took their glasses and walked back towards the bar, leaving Amber and Krystal together alone for the first time tonight.  
Krystal had wanted Kai to leave, but now that she was alone with Amber, the girl suddenly didn't seem to be interested in observing other people anymore. As soon as Kai had turned his back towards them, Amber lifted her gaze to meet Krystal's eyes. Her smug smile grew a little wider.  
"What?" Krystal asked.  
"Nothing. Can't I just look at you?" asked Amber amusedly.  
"That's for lovers," stated Krystal.  
"We once were, what's the difference?"  
"Only that we are not now and that you have Luna," hissed Krystal. Amber laughed and shook her head slowly.  
"She's not my girlfriend" she laughed. Krystal raised her eyebrows in a questioning look. It only took a few seconds before she squinted her eyes suspiciously.  
"I do no tlike people who lie."  
"Hmm, let me state it differently. We're... friend with benefits. We hang with each other when we're bored, occasionally have sexual intercourse when we feel like it. Idols aren't allowed to date and I have not found someone who is worth my time yet. In the mean time we stay together. We're best friends and pretend-lovers. I can introduce her as my friend or girlfriend however I want to."  
"Then why did you tell me that she's your girlfriend?" asked Krystal. Had she worried all night for nothing? No, not for nothing. Luna was still incredibly close with Amber and spent nights with her Krystal could only dream of.  
"Because I wanted to make you jealous."  
Amber sounded so casual that her words almost felt like a hit in the face.  
"Do you think my feelings are a joke to you?" she hissed.  
Amber shot her a big grin.  
"In contrary; they're fascinating. Because I have been thinking, Krystal. You don't even like whiskey, or the feeling of getting drunk, then why have you drunk so much this evening that you have trouble fixing your eyes on me?" she said.  
Krystal clutched her hands together in a fist, holding in a growl. Had Amber been quiet because she had been observing her all night? The idea startled her a bit, mostly because her mind immediately wanted to assume that it was because she was way more interesting than Luna. And perhaps, Amber thought so too. But Krystal wasn't a woman who gambled; so she didn't assume anything and banned the thought from her mind. Even though, she found herself saying the most stupidest thing ever.  
"It's because I wanted you to realize what you missed all these years."  
Amber huffed in delight, pulling her eyebrows up high on her forehead.  
"I'm not the one who ended us."  
Amber's voice had grown softer, colder. It made her eyes grow even darker. A shiver ran down Krystal's spine when their eyes met. But she didn't look away.  
"Then tell me, Amber, why am I doing such crazy things even after all these years? Tell me why I still feel my heart beat faster when I see you even after breaking up with you eight years ago?"  
A soft smile returned on Amber's face.  
"You tell me. Like you said, I'm nothing more than a beautiful stranger to you."  
"That's not true..."  
"Then I'm right; people barely change. We know each other, whether we like it or not," Amber said nonchalantly. Krystal bit down on her lip.  
Amber let a silence fall between them for a couple of seconds, giving Krystal time to think about that, before she continued.  
"And that means, love never dissolves. Once something had sparked between two people, it will never dissapear. So that's what I guess you feel now. And is that ridiculous? No. It's simply ridiculous to trade a wealthy, handsome man in for some street brat who has never changed, isn't it?"  
Krystal rolled her eyes and crossed her legs.  
"Have you become a philosopher or something?" Krystal asked. Although, she had always known that Amber had a deep mind; it didn't surprise her at all.  
Amber laughed at her response and shrugged. Their eyes met. It seemed like the colour of Amber's eyes constantly switched between brown and black, depending on whether there was a sparkle in her eyes or not. There was one now.  
"No, simply a song writer. You tend to think more about things with a job like that," said Amber, shrugging. Both of the girls chuckled. The heavy air had cleared between them and it had almost made Krystal feel calm again. But still, the presence of Amber made something stir in her lower belly that was hard to ignore. It was a mixture of nervousness and delight, causing her to be intertwined in a dilemma about staying on her side of the couch or getting over and kissing her.  
Krystal stayed where she was and didn't move.

Kai returned a few moments later with the drinks, but as soon as he sat down in between them again, Amber stood up.  
"Krystal and I have to use the restroom for a minute, could you excuse us?" Amber asked sweetly. Krystal blinked surprisedly at the tone in her voice. Kai frowned.  
"The two of you? Why can't girls go alone to the toilet?" he muttered. Kai shot her a glance that told her not to go, but Krystal found herself already getting up.  
"Well, you know, Hermione got attacked by a troll in the toilets, so it's safer for girls to go together."  
Amber chuckled softly at the reference to the famous books of J.K. Rowling, but Kai didn't get the joke and just waved them off. Krystal remembered them having a Harry Potter marathon together when they were young.  
"Guess I'll drink everything myself then," he said dissapointedly.  
"Don't whine, we're back in five," answered Amber a bit annoyedly, whilst rolling her eyes.  
They walked off together, towards the toilets, leaving Kai. Krystal got more nervous with every step she took, even though they were only going to pee. To be alone with Amber was simply nervous making.  
"Aren't the employees' toilets cleaner? Let's go there," said Amber, when they reached the public restrooms. Krystal nodded, almost in a daze, and followed Amber towards the employees' restroom. It was crazy to walk after someone in her own building, but she didn't say anything.  
They reached the restrooms and went in by a swipe of Krystal's keycard. The door fell shut behind them. It was a small room with only one sink and a big mirror. With only two doors leading towards the toilets, it was cramped, even for two people.  
"I needn't to pee," said Krystal. Amber turned towards her and flashed her smug grin.  
"Me neither."  
"Then why-" started Krystal, but at the moment she started her sentence she knew. She knew by the darkening of Amber's eyes. There was a silence of a second at most before they jumped on each other. Clumsily their bodies connected in a knot of limps, hair and clothes. Their lips found each other, too roughly, too willingly for it to be sweet. They weren't kids anymore. The liquor she tasted on Amber's lips proved that.  
Krystal's back hit the wall, causing a groan to leave her mouth. Amber's arms were curled around her waist but moved to her neck to let her fingers tangle in her hair. In the mean time, Krystal clawed at her back and ran with her own hands through her short strands as well. They were a mess of moans and the kisses were full of bottled up desire and love that the two of them hadn't been able to express for years. Now that they had finally found each other again, it was a waste to spend minutes not kissing each other.  
Amber had found her neck, and now pressed deep kisses on her sensitive skin, nibbling and biting as well too. Krystal gasped and squinted her eyes shut some more. Whilst Amber moved down and down, she found herself breathing heavier and heavier.  
"I have missed you... Fuck, I have missed you so much," she moaned. Amber looked up from her neck, smiled and laid her hand softly in her neck.  
"I have missed you too, Princess."


	17. Chapter sixteen

They had to stop because they were out of breath. Krystal's body shook like she had just ridden out an orgasm and she had to be supported by Amber although the other girl didn't seem to be at the top of her strengths too. They let their foreheads rest against each other, looking down whilst trying to get their breathing under control again.  
After a few moments, Amber lifted her head up a few inches, so she could look at her.  
"Come with me tonight."  
Her voice sounded hoarse and willingly, wanting, full of desire, but there was a hint of smallness in it too, like she was being an 18-year-old again, waiting for Krystal's approval.  
"Kai...-" she started, but then the most genius plan erupted in her head. A smile covered her face and she quickly pecked Amber's lips. "Forget what I said, just follow my lead."  
Amber frowned her eyebrows weirdly when Krystal grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the restrooms.

Had it been five minutes since they had left? Or ten? Krystal didn’t know, but when she returned, she saw that Kai’s glass was empty – and her’s too – and that he was playing rather bored on his phone. Hay Day, she thought with a sigh. It had kept her up all night a couple of days ago because he kept getting messages that his cows needed to be milked.  
When Kai noticed them coming – Krystal quickly let Amber’s hand go and tried to distance herself from the other woman – he looked up and smiled weakly.  
“Hello dear,” Krystal greeted. She kissed him on the cheek and sat down next to her fiancé. Amber sat down in front of them on the other couch, a frown on her face and her shoulders tensed. Krystal shot Amber a gaze and smiled, causing Amber to frown even deeper.  
Maybe it was a little mean to kiss Kai in front of her, but hadn’t she done the same with Luna all night?

Because of the kiss, Krystal immediately felt a lot happier. This time, she started the conversation, with Amber. She asked about her life, how it was now, what she was up to, if she still lived in the same crappy apartment. Amber started to talk, mostly to her, and described how she now was hired as a manager and song writer at SM Entertainment. Writing songs for Luna, Red Velvet and EXO, she had managed to get a rather good reputation and the label had awarded her with a good penthouse in LA. Since Amber mostly worked from the United States – visiting Korea often – she was mostly here and send in her lyrics.  
Krystal listened to her with an open mouth, often sighing at the idea of a job she utterly liked. Amber seemed to have it all, once again, and she couldn’t help to be a little bit jealous that she seemed to be so happy without Krystal in her life, whilst she had to drag herself out of bed every day that she shared with a man she didn’t love to go to a job she didn’t like.

An hour passed and it was now 1.30 AM. Kai had given up to try to nod along to Amber’s stories and was now playing on his phone the whole time. Eventually, when there was a little pause in Amber’s talking, he sat up straight, putting on a bright smile that Krystal knew was faker than the breast implants most women at the inauguration party had here, and turned towards her.  
“Sweetie, isn’t it time to get home? I can call a driver-“  
“I think I’ll stay. You go ahead!” Krystal immediately interrupted him. Kais eyebrows shot up confusedly. Even though she didn’t love him, he still knew a great deal about her and he knew that Krystal despised parties and loved to get out as soon as possible.  
“Then how-how will you get home?” he asked worriedly. Before Krystal could answer, Amber did.  
“Well she’s a grown woman, ain’t she?” Amber chuckled. “She can take care of herself.”  
“Maybe I can drive along with Amber?” Krystal suggested. She immediately looked in Amber’s direction and caught a glimpse of her gaze. Amber’s eyes had darkened a bit, and her smug smile had grown wider. Krystal smiled sweetly, hoping that Amber knew the hint she was trying to give her.  
If only Kai would say yes.  
But he frowned his eyebrows and cleared his throat.  
“But she has drunk a great deal too,” he said stubbornly, with a voice that was a bit deeper than his own.  
“Well, I can call for a taxi, can’t I?” said Amber. Kai looked from left to right, from the troublemaker to his fiancé. He knew he was obliged to say yes, even though it was obvious he didn’t like it a single bit to leave Krystal behind with a woman who he secretly was rather scared of.  
“I guess I’ll see you at home then,” Kai muttered. He stood up, wiped the dust from his suit, bowed down to kiss Krystal’s forehead and smiled weakly to Amber.  
“Don’t worry to much, I’ll be home before you know it. Don’t wait up for me, though, just go to sleep.”  
That made Kai frown even more, but eventually sighed and nodded. He looked at both of them for another few seconds, before he said his greetings and left Amber and Krystal.

They waited until they knew Kai was out of the building before they left too.  
Giggling like school girls who just got away with bashing the principal's car, they ran hand in hand out of the building, leaving the faint music, the alcohol, the people they both dispised and Jung Internationals behind them. They got their coats quickly and walked outside. It didn't take long before they had found a taxi.  
"Your place?" asked Krystal. Amber nodded immediately.  
"Wouldn't want Kai to join us, would you?" she smirked, before telling the taxi driver the adress. Krystal didn't recognize the address, meaning it wasn't close to her own place. Good, she thought. She didn't want to be reminded when she was there that Kai could be only a few blocks away.

How do lovers pass the time in the backseat of a taxi at 2 AM at night? Kissing, of course.  
It took them only five minutes before they asked the driver if the partition between the two front steats and the backseat could be up so that they could have a little privacy. Knowing better than to argue with two half-drunk adults, the driver immediately pulled it up. It only took a moment before Amber was on her and Krystal loved every part of it.  
With her back pressed agianst the car window, her legs spread a little and Amber in between they kissed until they were short of breath. They were deep and full of passion, as if they win back the kisses they hadn't been able to share in those eight years. Her fingers were intertwined with Amber's hair to keep her close. Their lips upon each other was the best thing she had felt in a long time and she could not understand how she ever could've been so stupid to break up with her.

It took half an hour to get at Amber's building. Krystal paid the driver with her credit card, even though Amber obliged. The taxi still had to drive away when they almost ran into the building, trying to get upstairs as soon as possible. Krystal couldn't recall that she had ever been so excited, especially if you remembered that she was cheating on her fiancé and didn't even care. Kai simply had never been able to stir so much inside her all at once and it felt so damn good to relive them again.  
Krystal didn't have time to admire how good the entrance hall already looked, nor the elevator. It only took the machine a few seconds to bring them upstairs, but that was too long for Amber not to push her lips upon Krystal's. For the change, she had pushed the troublemaker against the wall and kissed her smiling lips when they heard the soft 'ping' before the elevator doors slid open.  
Amber grabbed Krystal's hand and dragged her out of the elevator. There was a small corridor that led towards the only frontdoor on this level. Next to the door hung a small sign with the number "39" on it and Amber's name together with a bell. They quickly made their way through the corridor, sometimes not being able to help themselves to slow down a bit to press a kiss upon each other's lips.  
Amber took out her key and kicked the door open. The lights in the apartment had been shut off, causing them to be swallowed by the darkness as soon as the front door fell shut behind them. The thing that made sure Krystal didn't immediately trip over her own feet was the light that the moon cast through the wall-sized windows on one side of the penthouse.  
Her back hit the wall of the hall, right next to the small table on which she threw her keys. Amber pressed her body immediately to hers and pinned her arms above her head, making sure she was not able to move. As if she would wanted that.  
Amber's face was already close, the huge, smug grin decorating her face because she knew she would get her way tonight no matter what. And Krystal smiled back, for the exact same reason. They had both longed for this for a long time and nothing or no one would stop them now.

The big advantage of wearing a dress was that your partner has easy access, especiall when it was a topless dress. That meant there was no bra involved. How convenient.  
They tried to make it to the bed before their hormones took over their bodies and made their minds shut off, but they were too slow. Or their hormones were too fast. Krystal got her first orgasm against the wall of the livingroom, with her dress skirted up over her hips, still on her heels and her panty down on her ankles. Amber didn't even have to use her mouth, her fingers and her lips in her neck were enough. When it ripped through her body, the only thing she could think of was how Kai had never made her feel like this. No one had, except for Amber. And she hadn't even fully started yet; this was just a warm-up.  
They tried for the second time make it to the bedroom, but they ended up on Amber's lounge sofa. With Krystal's head between her thighs, her nails digging into her flesh, her head thrown back and her fingers entangled with Krystal's hair, the Amber rid out her first orgasm as well.  
With both of them satisfied at least for a little bit, this time they found the bedroom. The two of them fell in a giggling mess onto the kingsize bed. Amber immediately zipped down her dress, taking it slowly off of her and throwing it carelessly somewhere in the room. With no bra and her panties somewhere in the livingroom, she immediately was completely naked, causing Amber to immediately start kissing her breasts. Krystal laid down on her back, with her eyes closed and her fingers intertwined with Amber's whilst she let the other girl twirl her tongue around her already hardened nipples.  
When she tried to move down, Krystal stopped her. Confusedly, Amber looked up. Her lips were wettened already.  
"It's not fair that I'm here naked and you are not," she whined, causing the other girl to burst out in a laugh. Krystal wrapped her legs around Amber's middle and with a quick movement made sure that Amber was now lying on her back and Krystal was on top.  
"Have you learnt some new tricks?" chuckled Amber. Krystal bowed down and placed a long kiss upon her mouth.  
"Even if I had, I am not going to tell you," she said. Krystal gave her a wink. Amber grinned and rolled her eyes.  
Krystal started on her blouse, buttoning it down until there were only two buttons left. She ripped the last two, making Amber chuckle again. Quickly she took it off, together with her jeans that still hung loosely around her hips. It had been taken too long to take it off in the living room, so they had just pulled it down until there was enough space for Krystal to do her job.  
It only took her a moment before she had taken Amber's sports bra and boxer shorts off too. Her eyes dwelled off over her body, taking in every inch, every curve that wat Amber's. Had her breasts grown a bit? Her abs at least hadn't dissapeared, nor her slightly visiable v line.  
"Stop staring," chuckled Amber eventually. Krystal snapped out of her daze and shot her a smile.  
"What, does it make you nervous?" she asked sweetly.  
"Of course not. I'm just eager to start," Amber grinned. Krystal rolled her eyes. She had hoped for a second that she might've discovered another of Amber's weaknesses, but clearly that thought had been in vain. There was very little that was able to affect Amber and she had only seen one weakness thus far yet: the day Krystal had broken up with her, Amber had been devastated.  
Amber placed her hand in Krystal's neck, roughly pulling her down for another kiss. Krystal could only chuckle and Amber's need for her. It only took a second before their tongues found each other too, deepening the kiss with desire. They rolled over, causing Amber to be the top again. She brought her face close to her ear. Her breath made goosebumps appear all over body.  
"It's your turn, Princess."

It was 3.30 AM when they finally laid next to each other, their chests still rising quickly trying to get their breathing under control. Drips of sweat were covering their bodies. Krystal let the tip of her finger trail circles around the sore spots in her neck and on her breasts.  
"Does it hurt?" asked Amber her. Krystal turned her head and smiled.  
"No. Does your back hurt?"  
Amber laughed.  
"No, although I'll be a bit sore tomorrow," she said. Krystal placed her hand in front of her mouth to hide her giggles and her red cheeks.  
"I'm sorry," she said, trying to hold in her laughter. Amber chuckled too.  
"Don't be sorry, I think you'll be sore tomorrow too," she answered. Krystal laughed and nodded. She moved a bit closer, pulling up the sheets all the way up to her chin even though she still was very hot.  
"Let's not apologize for anything when we're with each other. Everything has to be sincere, honest," she muttered. Amber moved closer too, softly placing her hand upon Krystal's cheek, carassing the skin with her thumb.  
"Deal," she said. Amber placed a kiss upon her lips.  
Krystal turned around on her side and Amber immediately got the hint: she snuggled up to her from behind and placed her arm around her waist. Krystal loved being the smaller spoon, it just made her feel so protected, as if nothing in the world could hurt her. She placed her arm over Amber's, intertwining their fingers and closing her eyes. She could feel Amber's steady breathing in her neck. Whenever Kai did that, she would push him away, or turn around so that he wouldn't anymore, but with Amber it was simply different. It made her feel even more secure, because it was a sign that she was near and that she stayed close. With Amber, she felt safer than she had ever felt.

They fell asleep pretty quickly, not leaving each other's side. A couple of hours later, just before dawn, Krystal woke up, almost in panic. Heavily breathing, her eyes shot open. At first she didn't even know where she was. The room was dark, the bed was unkown and the arm around her wasn't muscled and hairy like Kai's. It was smooth and tender and the hand that was attached to it was small. Krystal slowly turned around, looking over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of the person next to her. When she saw it was Amber, she couldn't calm down. In fact, she started to breathe even faster, until a point in which she was almost hyperventilating. With shaking hands, she lifted Amber's arm that was still draped over her and laid it next to her. She could feel her pulse beating in her ears when she slowly, as quietly as possible, stepped out of bed. Krystal held her breath, not daring to make any sound.  
When she had safely gotten out without waking Amber up, she started to seek for her clothes. Her mind was dazed and she had trouble to remember what had happened last night and where Amber had taken off her different garments. With her hands covering her breasts and her lady parts, she hopped through the open door back to the living room. It was lit by the upcoming sun, making the room appear in a red-orange glow. It took her a moment to orientate herself, but eventually she found the spot of wall on which they had started off their evening. Krystal took her panties from the floor and sighed. Quickly she put them on, only to curse after when she remembered that she had to get back into the bedroom for her dress. Really smart, Krystal. And you're supposed to be a CEO?  
As silently as possible, she tip-toed back into the bedroom. Krystal immediately saw her dress, somewhere in a corner. She looked at Amber, who was still peacefully asleep. For a moment, she smiled. The sight was too adorable. Krystal knew that Amber usually woke up first, so she had never been able to see her sleep. It was really cute, because there was this constant frown on her face that made her look really concentrated, as if she was solving a diffecult maths equation in her sleep.  
She snapped out of her daze and took her dress. Luckily the zipper was already down, so she was able to step into it without much diffeculty. When the dress was in place, she tried to zip it back up, but it was hard to do it alone. During the struggling, she heard the sheets ruffle, but didn't pay attention to it. Perhaps she should have.  
"Krystal... you aren't sneaking out on me, are you?"  
She yelped in surprise when she heard Amber's sleepy voice through the darkness. With wide eyes, she pointed her gaze at the other woman. Amber had barely opened her eyes, but she now laid on her belly, revealing her back muscles, and watched her put on her dress. The sheets ended half past her back, around her waist. She caught herself staring for a bit.  
"H-how long have you been awake?" stuttered Krystal. Amber chuckled weakly.  
"Does that even matter? Why are you leaving, it's 5.30 AM."  
Krystal looked down and ran with her fingers roughly through her hair. A sigh left her lips.  
"Kai expects me home-" she began, but she stopped when Amber started to laugh.  
"C'mon, are you leaving because of Kai? You can just make up something that we were too drunk and that you decided to stay over at my place. He won't mind that," said Amber. Krystal pressed her lips together.  
"You don't know him."  
"No, but I know you."  
"And what is that supposed to mean?" she hissed. Amber looked a little more awake now, perhaps it was because of that cheeky grin had returned to her face.  
"That you don't want to go, but that your pride is nagging again. To cheat on your boyfriend is not something someone of your position is supposed to do, especially not with me, so you want to leave to make it stop."  
Krystal looked at her for a moment, utterly wondering why what Amber said was always right. Did she really know her or was it just so obvious? Kai had never understood her so well.  
"I assume out of your silence that I'm right," said the other woman. Krystal sighed and let her head fall backwards.  
"And so what? Is that weird?" she eventually asked. Amber shook her head.  
"Of course not. But it'd be unwise to leave now. Stay here, with me. Sleep. And when you still want to go first thing in the morning, I'll drive you home myself. You'll feel better then."  
"Can you promise?"  
"What?"  
"Can you promise me I'll be fine?" asked Krystal softly. Her lower lip had already started to shake but she didn't want Amber to see. She had trouble to blink her tears away.  
Amber chuckled.  
"You know, you're probably the person that is least likely to be okay in the morning because you simply overthink everything. But I promise that I'll be there for you, so that you're not alone."  
Krystal looked down to the ground whilst she thought, weighing the concequences. Half past, she stopped, realizing that perhaps she did overthink everything. Would it matter if she came home the next morning with a pretty white lie? Was Kai smart enough to figure out Amber and she were more than just old friends? Did he even consider the option that she might've slept with her as well?  
If she went home now, she could avoid a nasty conversation if he found out. Krystal wasn't good at laughing things off, like Amber was. As soon as he would guess the right thing, she'd have to admit to it. But on the other hand, Kai wasn't a jealous person. Or smart. He wouldn't mind.  
And even if he would, would she mind? It was her life. And she wanted to stay.  
"Can I borrow one of your shirts?" she asked shyly. Amber smiled welcoming and nodded.  
"Just take one out of the closet," replied Amber. Krystal nodded. She walked up to the big black closet, almost invisible in the darkness of the room. Opening it up, she took the first thing she saw and held it up to Amber.  
"Is this one okay?" she asked. Amber nodded. It was a black t-shirt with small lightnings. Krystal turned her back towards the bed, reached for the zipper and pulled it down again. The dress fell from her body back onto the ground and she quickly put on Amber's t-shirt. Even though it was clean, it still smelled like her. It calmed her quickly beating heart a bit.  
Amber hadn't taken her eyes off of Krystal, not even when she had turned around to change clothes. Normally, it would make her feel really self-concious, as if she had just eaten spinach and had to do a photoshoot with little pieces of green leaves between her teeth. Amber's gaze only soothed her more, because it was so soft and admiring that she simply couldn't think of it badly.  
Krystal got back to the bed. Amber held the sheets up for her so she could climb back in. She immediately installed herself in the same position she had fallen asleep a few hours ago: with her back pressed against Amber's body and her arm under her head. She being the smaller spoon. Amber snuggled up to her, pulling her closer by wrapping her arm around her waist. She felt a light kiss in her neck.  
"Just relax, and sleep."  
Krystal took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, then nodded. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, like Amber said. But the moment she tried to fall back asleep again, all she could think of was how hurt Kai's face would look when she'd admit into sleeping with Amber. Would he throw a tantrum? Would he accuse her of being a slut? Would he tell her dad? Would he not want to let her touch him anymore, disgusted of his own fiancé? Did such people still exist? As soon as she asked herself that question, she almost had to laugh bitterly. Her parents. Her parents were disgusted of anyone who wasn't like them. People of another race, with another sexuality, they were all too different for them to understand.  
"Krystal, relax," sighed Amber.  
"I am relaxing," reacted Krystal immediately. She heard a huff.  
"No, you're not."  
"I am."  
"No, I can feel your abs."  
Krystal looked over her shoulder.  
"I don't even have abs. I haven't worked out in days."  
"Then how can I feel them? Just empty your head."  
"Sometimes I wonder if you can look inside my mind, you know that? How did you even know I was thinking of.. stuff," she asked shamefully. Amber laughed softly.  
"Well, maybe I can."  
Krystal chuckled.  
"Hmm, then what am I thinking of right now?"  
"Sex," answered Amber carelessly. Krystal turned around to slap her. The other woman tried to duck away but was too slow and ended up getting hit.  
"No!" she said annoyedly. "Try again. Be more specific."  
Amber thought for a moment.  
"Your father?"  
Krystal shook her head and smiled cheekily.  
"Our first kiss," she said.  
Amber's face lit up and she started to grin. Krystal grinned too.  
"Gosh, so cheeky!" she answered, half in digust. Krystal laughed and bowed down to kiss Amber's lips.  
"Well, think of that while you're trying to sleep, okay? Not something else, just that," said Amber, when they broke up. Krystal smiled and nodded. They kissed each other good night and laid back into their previous position. This time, it took Krystal only a few minutes to fall asleep.


	18. Chapter seventeen

Krystal woke up to soft beams of sunshine peeking through the half closed curtains lightening the room. Amber still had her arms wrapped around her waist and she could feel the steady breathing on her shoulder. Slowly, she opened her eyes, to let them get used to the light. She yawned, despite it being 11.30 AM.  
Krystal turned around in Amber's arms to watch her. A small smile appeared on her face when she saw that small frown on her forehead again. Another maths equation? She chuckled softly.  
Krystal started to press kisses on her lover; on her forehead, her cheek, her nose, her shoulder, her arms, her hands, her fingers. It took her only a few minutes before Amber woke up by the feeling of Krystal's lips against her skin. The other woman opened her eyes slowly. A sleepy smile grew on her face when she saw that Krystal was looking at her.  
"Good morning, Princess."  
Amber's voice was raspy and she had to cough a few times to clear it up. Krystal chuckled, propped herself up on one elbow and moved forewards to kiss her on the lips. Who cared that they hadn't brushed their teeth yet?  
Amber kissed her back willingly and when they broke up they both sank back into the sea of pillows that covered Amber's bed.  
"Did you sleep well?" asked Krystal. Amber nodded then stretched. The sheets got pulled a little backwards, revealing her still bare breasts. Krystal couldn't help to let her eyes dwell off because Amber didn't seem to care to pull the sheets back. Was she really that confident? Krystal tried to contain a smile. Of course she was, this is Amber Liu she's talking about.  
"Hmm-hmm," nodded Amber. "What about you?"  
"I have gotten a good night's rest for the first time in weeks, I'm pretty content," laughed Krystal. Amber rose her eyebrows up to half past her forehead.  
"You weren't supposed to get a good night's rest!" she complained loudly. "I have failed!"  
Krystal laughed and slapped her across the shoulder, causing the other to burst out in laughter too. Amber placed her hands around her cheeks and pulled her closer for another kiss. It felt so good, Krystal thought, this feels so damned good. Her belly had turned with butterflies when they broke apart and she couldn't help to grin. How wonderful was it to feel loved again.  
Right at the moment Krystal wanted to bow in for another kiss, she heard a low grumbling noise. They both looked up, then started to laugh.  
"I guess I'm hungry," chuckled Amber. "Care to get some breakfast? I feel like going to a diner. Denny's, perhaps."  
Krystal placed her index finger on her lower lip and cocked her head to the left, as if she was thinking. Eventually she made a 'tch'-noise by letting air escape through her teeth.  
"I really have to go," she said softly. Amber frowned, then chuckled and shook her head.  
"Well, I promised to drive you home myself and I want to get breakfast at Danny's."  
Krystal huffed at Amber's cocksureness.  
"Oh, you're such an-"  
"Hmm, yes, what am I? Adorable, I know right!" exclaimed Amber. Krystal shook her head.  
"You're an ass, that's what you are."  
"Well you are what you eat so-"  
"AMBER!"  
They both burst out in laughter again. Krystal tried to get out of the bed as quickly as possible, but Amber had wrapped herself around her waist to keep her in the bed. They struggled for a moment in the bed that turned out to become a real competiting who was able to hold the other down longer. Krystal eventually managed to get on top whilst pressing Amber's wrists down into the pillows above her head. Their faces were so close that Krystal could feel Amber's fastened breath upon her lips. Amber chuckled.  
"Oh no, you got me. You're lucky I haven't eaten yet otherwise I would've won from you so badly!"  
Krystal rolled her eyes.  
"You would've won from me no matter what because you're at least twice as strong as I am but you're letting me win now," she replied. Amber raised her eyebrows.  
"How did you know?"  
"Because I've seen your biceps last night, and I know what they can do," replied Krystal with a wink. Amber laughed and pressed a kiss on her lips. She freed her hands without much effort — even though Krystal really tried to keep them above her head — and wrapped them around her waist. They rolled over and this time Amber was on top. She brought her face close to hers and at the moment Krystal thought she was about to kiss her, Amber moved her mouth to her ear.  
"I thought you liked being the bottom?"  
Her cheeks immediately started to burn. Amber bowed back and started to chuckle at her red face. Krystal immediately pushed her away, back into the blankets and got on op of her as soon as possible. She knew she wouldn't look very convincing in Amber's t-shirt, no bra and her underwear of last night but she wanted to try either way. Amber let her press her arms above her head again. Her eyes sparkled when she looked at Krystal.  
"Well, maybe you should let me be the top the next time, see how that turns out," she said softly. Krystal flashed a smile before she started to place feather light kisses in Amber's neck. Amber tugged at Krystal's grip, but not hard enough for her to let go. Her lips trailed down, over the sensitive skin in her neck to her collar bone and eventually her the beginning of breasts too. When she felt Amber move her chest up and she could feel her breathing get heavier, she knew she had done her job well.  
"So there's gonna be a next time?" Amber breathed. Right before Krystal's mouth would find her nipple, she looked up with a bright smile and shrugged. Fast as lightning, she jumped off of Amber and got out of bed.  
"I don't know!" she chuckled. "Didn't you want to go to Danny's?"  
Amber looked at her in confusion. When she realized that she had been tricked, she growned and threw her head back into the pillows.  
"You're terrible."  
"I know. But I'm hungry so let's go."  
Amber looked at her from the bed and shook her head.  
"I don't want to go with you anymore."  
Krystal tilted her head and smiled sweetly. Too sweet for someone who really means well.  
"Okay well then I don't want to go to bed with you anymore," she said stubbornly. Amber's head shot up and she immediately jumped out of bed. With a few quick strikes she had reached Krystal. Without any effort she lifted the other girl up and threw her over her shoulder. Krystal yelped and tried to Amber to put her down, but she was too strong so she eventually just gave up and let her carry her to the living room.  
"Okay, let's go! Go go go!" she laughed. Krystal rolled her eyes, but couldn't hide her own chuckles as well.

Danny's was crowded, even at lunch. Luckily there had been a table for two. With much regret she shot a excusing smile to the waiting family that had already been there before they got in.  
Krystal had borrowed clothes from Amber, because she didn't feel much like to go back out of the apartment in her dress from last night. It smelled of sweat and alcohol and she already felt dirty because of the previous night and the fact that she hadn't been able to take a shower before she left the apartment so she had borrowed some clothes from Amber.  
Luckily Amber's clothes were freshly washed and felt nice and soft against her sore skin. She had traded the black t-shirt with white little lightnings for a white shirt which she had tugged into one of Amber's tight black jeans. The shirt was a little too big for her and the jeans a little too small, because Amber's legs were shorter than hers, but overall she wasn't dissapointed with her look.  
Amber hadn't bothered to do her hair and simply wore a snapback. She looked like she just had emerged from bed — which she actually had — with her thick black sweater and her baggy jeans and sneakers.  
With Amber's thick bags under her eyes and Krystal's messy hair they really looked like people who had had a rough night and they were also treated as such. The waitresses often came to fill their coffee cups again which was a luxury that they both liked to get used to. In silence they ate their breakfast and drank their coffee. Krystal had called Kai during the breakfast after having seen that he had called her five times this morning. He had been mad at her and they had argued over the phone for at least a quarter before she hung up annoyedly. He had started to complain about her not coming home nor informing her that she stayed over at someone else's place. Kai had been actually offended that she hadn't rushed home this morning to apologize and, 'just went out to have dinner like nothing had happened'. Krystal had tried to calmly tell him to fuck off, only with nicer words. Amber had listened along and hadn't been able to hide her grin. Krystal had just shot her a non-amused look and had angrily taken a bite of her food.  
Krystal had also called the company to check if everything had gone well after she had left. Her personal assistant, Eloisa, had assured her that everything had been cleared from the entrance hall and that the room looked just like any other day. That had at least been able to comfort her a little. She now only had to deal with an angry fiancé.  
After three quarters they were done with eating and they made their leave. Krystal had wanted to pay for the food, but right at that moment she had gotten a call from her father, so Amber had secretly taken the bill and had paid for it.  
"You know, my salary is higher than yours so you should just let me-" Krystal had started to complain, but Amber had silenced her by grabbing her hand and placing the back of it to her lips. Krystal had been shut up immediately.  
"Why are you doing that?"  
"What, paying for the bill?"  
"Kissing my hand, stupid."  
"Because I want to," Amber merely chuckled. Krystal pressed her lips together untill they formed a thin, pink line on her face.  
"We're not together..." she muttered. Did one night stands even kiss each other's hand? Were they affectionate to each other when the sex was over? Of course, Amber was not just an one night stand. She was special. But still, they weren't together. And how much Krystal hated it to admit, they both had someone else to love.  
She had always underestimated the feeling of forbidden love. When she had watched movies of starcrossed lovers, she had always simply thought that they should just be together, no matter the costs. Now that she was in such a situation herself, it wasn't so easy. She wished it was though, that she didn't have to choose between her work and the person who had snatched her heart away once more.  
Krystal knew that Amber had caught her heart last evening. When they had first met it took her a long time to realize that she had been in love with her all that time, that Amber hadn't been just a fling, because she simply had never been in love before. Now that she had experienced it once, she knew how to recognize it the second time, especially because the same person had made her fall back in love all over again. It was a weird feeling, to admit to herself that she was in love again with Amber after one night. Or perhaps, had she never fallen out of love?  
"We're not together, but we once were. Love doesn't simply pass because you're distanced from each other, or when we're both tied to people we don't actually like," Amber simply said. But she did let Krystal's hand go, and she immediately regretted saying anything at all. Even though she wanted to grab her hand again and hold it into hers, intertwine their fingers together and never let go, she stayed silent. It was for the best.  
It was probably just a one night stand, she told herself. Perhaps, after today, they'd distance again and never talk to each other again. Then the problem would be solved, wouldn't it?  
The thought saddened her.

Amber drove Krystal home like she promised. A silence had settled between the two women, one that was aching to be broken. But Krystal didn't know what to ask. The only thing that was worth discussing was their relationship status right now. Were they strangers? Friends? Friends with benefits? Lovers...?  
Krystal cringed at every word. She couldn't let Amber go anymore. It had been a mistake the last time and she had under gone the concequences for years after that. They'd never be strangers again.  
But friends? Had they ever been friends? Their relationship had gone from enemies to lovers in two days eight years ago. Krystal couldn't reckon she had ever thought of Amber as her friend. They had always been more than friends.  
And even though Krystal loved having sex with Amber — she had never met anyone who could make her feel better than her — it would feel empty to sneak out of her own apartment, away from Kai, to someone who could please her. Krystal already isn't good at dstinguish platonic feelings from romantic feelings and she wasn't the kind of person who was able to have sex with someone mindlessly without feeling something. Sex, to her, was more than just an act. It was paired with feelings. Perhaps that was also why every attempt to sexual intercourse with Kai had failed: she simply didn't love him.  
And lovers... What if they could be lovers again... Krystal let a sigh escape at the thought of holding Amber's hand again without feeling guilty. She could proudly say Amber was her girlfriend once more. Her stomach already twisted with delight when she only thought of it. But of course, there was no way that they were able to do that. Her father, her mother, Kai... They would never accept it. The wedding would be off. Krystal might even loose her job when it came out that she was in a relationship with a woman. Because of Amber's masculine appearance, they would be able to hide her gender, but Krystal simply didn't want to. She wanted people to know that she was a woman and that she was the most amazing woman she had ever met.  
They were probably stuck somewhere in between these for stadia and Krsytal hated it. She hated not knowing what she was up to. It made situations inpredictable. She knew that was how Amber liked it, but she liked to have a plan and when she didn't she got very insecure and doubtful.

Amber had stopped in front of Krystal's apartment building and she got out to open Krystal's door. She brunette looked up to the other woman, who smiled at her, eventually sticking out her hand to help her get up from her seat. They looked at each other for a moment. Krystal couldn't help to notice how the corners of her mouth had been twisted up so cheekily.  
"Well, good luck, I suppose," Amber said eventually. Krystal looked down and flashed a faint smile. She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.  
"Yeah, I guess so..." she muttered. It stayed silent for a moment. Eventually, she looked up, with her lower lip caught between her teeth. Amber was looking at her with a strange curiosity.  
"I guess I'll be going then. Drive home safely."  
"I will."  
She turned around and walked off, towards the entrance of the building. Her lower stomach was prostesting for her to stay with Amber, but her head won over her heart like it always had and she kept on walking. The drums of her feet meeting the pavement rung in her ears and she was aware of every step she took farther and farther from Amber. She was only a meter away from the entrance. Her hand made contact with the cold metal of the doorhandle. There was a sound of a car door slamming shut. And because of that, a rush of panick ran through her body. Krystal turned around quickly, only to see Amber lean nonchalantly against the side of the car.  
She felt stupid noticing that Amber had only shut the door of the side Krystal had gotten out of. They locked eyes again and Amber lifted her eyebrows, almost as if she wanted to ask if there was something wrong. And she wanted to answer that there was nothing wrong, but in this small moment of panick, her heart had taken over.  
"Will I see you again?" she asked. Amber's smile grew softer.  
"If you want to, Princess, then you will."

Krystal still bore her wide grin when she opened the front door to her apartment. Amber's words had stuck into her mind like they had been glued there. They played over and over in her head, like a romantic drama OST. She let Amber's backpack slide from her back, which contained her dress and her heels from last night. Her clothes felt even nicer now, the fabric was almost ticklish to her skin.  
She let herself fall on her couch and closed her eyes. Amber's face immediately appeared in her thoughts. That smile... and how good she had looked when she had gotten into her car and had driven away with one hand on the wheel... Not to mention when-  
"So you didn't even care about what I said to you?"  
Kai's voice pierced through the air, sharp as freshly broken glass. Krystal immediately shot up straight, opening her eyes trying to find her fiancé. He was leaning against the wall. A black blouse was hugging his figure, tugged into black pants as well. When he walked towards her, his naked feet made sticky sounds on the stone floor.  
"I was having breakfast... or lunch," she muttered. "It'd be a waste of money to just get up right after it had been served."  
"We could've gotten lunch together. Money has never been an issue, you know that," he said coldly. Krystal bit down on her lower lip and pointed her gaze at the ground, unable to look at him.  
"Why are you so mad at me, because I got a little drunk last night? It was my party, wasn't I allowed to?" she asked softly. She heard Kai sigh deeply. He walked towards her and sat down on their mahogany wooden coffee table, so that they were on the same height. He had his legs spread and his arms crossed in front of his chest. There was a frown on his face.  
"I'm not mad, just annoyed. I don't blame you for... partying," he muttered. Krystal looked up to him, this time with a frown of her own.  
"Then why are you annoyed? Because I stayed over somewhere else instead of at home? It's not because I didn't want to stay at home, Kai, it's because it happened to be that way," she lied smoothly. Becoming a vice president in Jung Internationals required certain skills. Lying was one of them. And because she had been taught to lie all her life, she was able to do it rather perfectly right now. Because Kai also believed she was in love with him, didn't he?  
"It's probably my own fault, I let you go and went home myself," Kai muttered, more to himself than to her. Krystal huffed.  
"I really don't get what's the problem. Amber took good care of me, we're... friends."  
She was barely able to make the word leave her throat. It left a bitter aftertaste because she knew very well that they were not friends. But Kai believed so and it was the ideal lie to keep up. Because you know... best friends go over to each other's places a lot, right?  
"That's exactly what's bothering me, Krystal. I don't know that chick at all. Yeah, I know she's some rich man's kid who has gone all off trail but that's literally the only thing I know of her. And now you're sleeping over at her house?"  
Krystal let out a nervous laugh.  
"You're being ridiculous. What's supposed to happen?"  
"Well, you never know nowadays. The streets are roamed with lesbo's," Kai said bitterly. "And you know, she is one.. right?"  
Krystal's face grew colder. Her breathing slowened and a strange calmness spread through her body. Her father hadn't brought her up with mercy and she wasn't planning on trying to give Kai some right now too.  
"Amber is my friend and I do not want you to speak of her that way."  
Kai was surprised by her sudden angry tone. He stared at her confusedly, before laughing it off.  
"Talking about her in what way? She IS a lesbian, ain't she?"  
"A homophobic way. There's nothing wrong with her."  
"Krystal, come on, I am not a homophobe, you know I didn't mean it that way," he said quickly. Krystal squinted her eyes suspiciously.  
"Well, clearly you did because it obviously sounded like-"  
"Let's not fight about something not worth fighting for, okay," Kai interrupted her. Krystal stared at him in anger, not liking to be silenced. Her nails digged into the skin of her hand and she had to clench her jaws so hard not to spill out some really mean words that her teeth felt like breaking.  
"Well, since Amber is your friend, we can invite her over for dinner, can't we? We can also invite Luna. Make it a double-date! Nice, right?" suggested Kai. He had already stood up to walk towards his phone, which he had forgotten somewhere on the dinner table, when she realized what a catastrophe that would become. Krystal's eyes shot open in fear and she tried to stop him, but before she could reach him, he had already taken his phone and typed in the number. She placed her hands upon his arms.  
"Sweetie, I really don't think this is a good-" she tried, but he shushed her by placing his finger to his lips. The phone was already ringing. Krystal wondered how Kai could have Luna's number. She might've given it to him last night. Perhaps the double-date idea has been into his mind already for a while.  
"Hello, Luna. It's me, Kai. I was thinking, maybe we should all grab some food together, the four of us. I'm an amazing cook so-... Ah, of course, we can also come over to your place! ... Yes, you, Amber, Krystal and me... This Saturday is fine by me, just text me the address. See you then!"  
Shocked, her eyes were fixed on her fiancé, who said another goodbye before hanging up. When he looked back at her, there was a proud glint in his eyes. It reminded her of a child who tried their hardest to do something good but in the measures of an adult, it was still incredibly dumb.  
"Luna said she was glad to receive my call and that she and Amber would love to have a dinner date!" Kai said enthusiastically. Krystal had to keep her mouth shut to now spill out a group of foul words and simply nodded shortly. Her teeth sank into her lower lip as her brain was making up the worst possible scenarios ever. Her stomach turned at the thought how awkward it was going to be.  
Oh, this dinner was going to be a disaster.


	19. Chapter eightteen

Six days.  
It would take six days before the dinner would occur. That'd mean she'd have enough days to prepare herself for the awkward situation that was going to happen. The next day Krystal had gotten a message from Amber that said:

Couldn't wait to see me again? ;)

Krystal had growned at the message and had only been able to reply to her a few hours later to explain that it hadn't been her idea. Amber had immediately turned on her phone and replied that she already guessed so, since Krystal wasn't the person to dig her own grave. But she also reassured her that it was going to be fine. Luna had already been informed, so she wouldn't ask any diffecult questions about the party at Jung Internationals. The only obstacle they had to deal with was Kai, and he surely was going to ask some questions. They had made a deal that Krystal would make up the lies and that Amber would roll with it.

Krystal used to think that she was quite a disciplined woman. Whenever she wanted to put herself to work, how dreadful it might be, she was always able to get into her concentration-mode. Often she was so concentrated on her work that it often took her hours to snap out of it. Often forgetting to eat or to drink, her assistant had to bring her food and water to make sure her boss stayed healthy during long office days.  
But work never seemed so boring with a horrible dinner to come. And not just that, Amber Liu has never left her mind the moment she had gotten back home.

Krystal didn't like social media much. Too often people found her, sending her annoying friend requests or wanted to chat over Facebook. That's why she at first hadn't made an instagram account. But at a certain moment her mind had wandered, wondering if Amber had an instagram.  
The next moment she had taken her phone out of her pocket and had already dowloaded the app. Two hours later, her assistant, Eloisa, found her lying on her leather couch, with her knees pulled up to her chest and her phone in her hand, marvelling about how cute and dorky Amber's instagram was. She was suprised how many friends she actually had, let not alone the pictures with her dog Jack Jack — the little bastard clearly was really old now, since his snout had started to become gray — and a new asset, a kitten called Tuna.  
There were tons and tons of pictures of her on her skateboard, her doing charity work, crazy food pictures, pokémon sweaters, cute little edited videos and an surprising big ammount of pictures that were actually kind of sexy, even though they were defenitely not meant to be. The pictures with Luna — which tended to be around more often the more she scrolled up — gave her a weird feeling in her belly. Even though Amber had assured her that they were just friends with benefits, she couldn't help to wonder if Luna felt so too. The sweet, romantic looks she gave Amber on the pictures just looked too real, and Krystal's heart ached at the looks Amber gave her back. But then another jumping picture came along and she couldn't help to chuckle about how dorky they looked.  
Eloisa had to call her a couple of times before she snapped out of her daze.  
"Miss, you have a meeting.. right now."  
Krystal had immediately closed the app, feeling incredibly ashamed of herself. Quickly she had gotten up and walked with Eloisa towards the meeting room. She had been 10 minutes late. Luckily she was allowed to get late, but she noticed the annoyance on the faces of her employees, even though they tried to hide it.  
As soon as she got back from the meeting, she had caught herself trying to go back to the app and scroll through the few pictures she hadn't yet looked at. With great diffeculty, she had been able to keep herself from that and get to work.

The next few days were perhaps even worse. She found herself staying in the office long past hours, trying to find any excuse that she wouldn't have to go home. More often than not she asked Eloisa to dine with her, but after three times in a row, her assistant declinded kindly, telling her that she didn't have so much money to spend and she didn't want Krystal to pay for her. Since she didn't eat any fast food nor liked to dine alone, she was obliged to go home. Kai waited for her with a delicious self made dinner and it simply was delicious but after their fight last Sunday she was not able to look at him normally.  
His comments about Amber's sexuality had made her very aware of her own. Even though he had tried to hid the fact that he was a little bit wary and disgusted by Amber's life style, Krystal knew there was a part of him who didn't like it at all that she had been with her all night. She had always known that Kai was rather simple minded when it came to these things but she had always been able to ignore it because it never came up in a conversation. Now that it had, she was scared of how he would think of her if she told him she was bisexual.  
Bisexuality was a part of her that she couldn't and didn't want to erease, not even for her fiancé. Would it be good to tell him before the wedding happened? Or would it be another secret that settled between them? If she never saw Amber again after the dinner, would it even matter? She didn't needlessly want to cause havoc when nothing was going to happen.  
A strange feeling settled in her belly when she thought of that.. She caught herself hoping that something would happen, just so she could break off her boring relationship with Kai and head off with Amber.  
But that was something that could never happen, she told herself. She hadn't worked so hard all her life just to throw all of it away. She was almost there — the wedding was only a few months away — if she turned her back towards all of that now, she would be back to square one. Krystal hadn't wasted 26 years of her life for that.

Nevertheless, Amber never left her mind. She thought of her when she was working, she thought of her when she was going to sleep. She thought of her during the kisses she shared with Kai and she thought of her under the shower. She thought of her when she shouldn't, when there was not even an indicator that reminded her of her.  
And eventually Saturday came closer and closer. For the whole week, Krystal had not been able to prepare herself. Find the right dress and the right hair style was as easy as picking the right products in the supermarket, but she had no idea how to behave. Would she have to act distant, like she and Amber weren't all that close and pay attention to Kai mostly? Did she need to ignore her completely, or just laugh at her jokes? And what about Luna, would she be able to even have a normal conversation with the dazzling upcoming super star? Especially now that she had spent the whole week looking at photos of her and Amber on Amber's instragram, whilst gritting her teeth together to surpress her jealous emotions.

As the clock ticked by, they started to prepare. Kai wore his white blouse, although he kept the first two buttons open to keep it casual, and dark blue jeans. His hair was up instead of down. Krystal had sought out a short black dress with long sleeves that hugged her figure perfectly. She took out her best pair of heels, because she would be damned to look small next to Kai. She decided to let her hair loose, since the dinner still was supposed be sort of casual. And with a light apply of make up, she was all set for the night.  
"Damn, Krys. We aren't going to a fashion show, you know," Kai said, as soon as Krystal stepped out of the bathroom. She couldn't help to roll her eyes.  
"Well, this outfit is only more beneficial for you later tonight, isn't it? I don't know why you're complaining," she replied. Kai was a bit taken back by the answer, but chuckled nevertheless.  
"I wasn't complaining, I was merely admiring," he said. His words made her cringe and dear god she really hoped that tonight wouldn't lead to sex. Krystal had already been able to push it to the weekend but he hadn't gotten any for two weeks right now and she knew he'd get impatient. The thought of sexual intercourse right after the dinner made her bite down hard on her lip.  
"Let's go..." she simply muttered. Kai nodded and grabbed her hand. Krystal wanted to take it back, but felt back, and against her will in intertwined her fingers with his.

The address Luna had texted them was of Amber's apartment. Krystal had recognized it immediately. Even though she knew the road to Amber's apartment by heart, she let Kai install the navigator, since she didn't want to bring down the mood any more. Kai had already noticed that she was more silent than usual and therefor he had gotten a bit agitated too.  
It took them twenty minutes to get there. Luckily the radio was on, otherwise there would've been a painful silence between them. Or maybe only Krystal experienced it as a painful silence.  
When they rung the bell to Amber's penthouse, Luna opened with a big smile on her face.  
"Come in!" she chirped friendly, whilst taking their coats. Kai greeted her friendly and Krystal nodded to her as she took off her coat. Luna went off to hang up their coats. Krystal awkwardly folded her hands in front of her body, taking a look at the apartment as she bit down on her lip. Kai stayed by her side, but that made it even more uncomfertable.  
At the moment Luna returned, she heard a high pitched bark coming from behind of her. A small, dark-haired dog ran through Luna's legs, yapping loudly. He ran as fast as he could towards Krystal and started to jump up on her legs. The snout of the animal had turned grey from the last she had seen him. A smile grew on her face as sat down on her knees to pet the chihuahua.  
"Oh Jack Jack," she muttered. The dog turned a circle for a couple of times, barked, then jumped up against her body again to lick her face and her hands. Krystal started to giggle whilst she petted the tiny animal everywhere she could. Jack Jack barked happily.  
"Seems like he still knows you."  
Krystal jerked her head up, only to look into the deep eyes of Amber. She casually leaned against the wall, right after Luna, her eyes soft at the sight of Krystal petting Jack Jack. For a moment, she lost her concentration and all she could do was stare. Amber had let her hair down, causing the sleek strands to fall beautifully across her forehead. She wore a blue sweater with a white blouse underneath, together with a black pair of skinny jeans. She was bare footed.  
Luckily Jack Jack started to lick her hand and whine to sign her that she should keep on patting. Krystal blinked a couple of times, as if she just woke up from a deep slumber and smiled weakly to Amber. She started to pet Jack Jack again.  
"I guess so. I missed you, buddy."  
Jack Jack barked in response, causing her to laugh softly. She petted the dog another time, before getting up. Amber's gaze shifted, because she hadn't been looking at Jack Jack at all. Only at Krystal.  
She looked down, hoping that Kai wouldn't see the blushes on her face.  
"Well, what are we waiting here for? I cooked a delicious meal, you're gonna love it!" Luna broke the silence. Kai smiled and grabbed Krystal's hand. She bit down on her lip again, wishing he'd let go.  
They all walked towards the dining table, which was in an extension of the living room. Luna immediately hopped towards the kitchen to get the food. Amber directed them to their places. Kai immediately sat down next to Krystal. And even though it wasn't more than logical that the couples would sit next to each other, it still made her incredibly uneasy.  
"Wait a moment, I got the perfect drink to start this dinner," Amber said, before she walked of. That left Kai and Krystal together at the already covered table. Krystal couldn't get herself to say anything.  
Luckily Amber was back rather quickly, with a bottle of champage in her hands. She grinned widely to them, but Krystal was able to hit her. Champagne? What was there to celebrate? That this evening was going to be crappy as hell?  
But she let the woman pour her a glass. Krystal immediately took a big sip, hoping that if she'd just drink enough alcohol tonight that perhaps the dinner wouldn't be so bad.  
Amber sat in front of her, waiting for Luna to arrive with the first course. In the mean while a silence settled between them, which especially made Kai turn awkwardly in his chair.  
"So.." he said, as he cleared his throat. "Krystal told me you two had some fun after I left at the party, huh?"  
Amber's eyes shot from Kai to Krystal and she snickered.  
"Oh, did she?" she laughed. Krystal shot her an angry look and Amber winked. Kai frowned his eyebrows at the wink. "Yeah we drank some more. Too much. Sorry for not bringing her home directly, bro, you don't mind, do you? I took good care of her."  
Kai had to clear his throat again.  
"Hmm, well, yeah. I didn't really mind that much," he said softly. Krystal shot him a look. Liar. Amber chuckled softly.  
Right at the moment Kai wanted to open his mouth again to ask something, Luna came into the living room with a steaming bowl of soup in her hands.  
"Hot, hot, hot hot..!" she kept on muttering, until she put it safely down on the table. Luna took off her oven mitts and placed one of them neatly on the table. The other one she used to keep her fingers free from burns when she lifted the lid. Damp arose from the pan that brought a delicious smell.  
“That smells amazing,” Amber commented. Luna flashed her a smile and winked.  
“Of course, because I made it! Unlike you, I can cook pretty well,” Luna laughed.  
“Well, she can cook pretty well, can’t she?” Krystal mumbled. Luna and Amber both looked at her in confusion. Kai narrowed his eyes suspiciously.  
“Why would you know?” he asked her. Krystal realized her mistake. She laughed nervously.  
“We are childhood friends, remember? Of course we have cooked one time together,” she quickly said. Luna and Amber exchanged a glance, then started to smile too.  
“Yeah, of course,” Amber added. Krystal quickly turned her gaze away and pressed her lips stiffly upon each other, so that she wouldn’t blurt out anything that might give her away.  
“Well, let’s say Amber isn’t such a great cook as I am,” Luna laughed.  
“Hmm, what is it? It smells amazing!” Kai said, as he bowed a little closer to the pan and took a sniff.  
“It’s seaweed soup, a special recipe from my dearest mother,” Luna said. Kai handed her his bowl and she filled it with the delicious smelling appetizer.  
Luna filled all of the bowls, then sat down next to Amber. She took her glass and lifted it in the air, the others followed.  
“To a great friendship, I’d love to see you two more,” Luna smiled. Kai grinned and nodded in agreement.  
“Likewise!”  
The group of four started at their appetizer. Krystal hoped that it would be over soon. The longer she stayed here, the more the tension in her lower belly started to build up.

After the seaweed soup, Luna served them a main course that existed of steak with a terrific gravy, mushed potatoes and a mix of several vegetables. They had a salad as a side dish. Krystal mainly focused on the dinner. She already was a slow eater, let alone if she really participated in the conversation Luna and Kai were having. And even if she did, she’d probably give herself away again. Amber was also remarkably silent. Perhaps they had the same thoughts.  
After the main course, Luna would serve them home-made crème brûlée. When she was off to the kitchen to caramelize the upper layer of the custard, an awkward silence settled between the three of them. Krystal could feel that Kai wasn’t comfortable around Amber, and Amber simply didn’t care about him enough to start a conversation or ask about his life.  
“Why aren’t you two talking to each other? You’re friends right..” he eventually commented. Amber and Krystal exchanged a glance. Amber coughed to clear her throat.  
“What’s there to talk about? Luna’s the one with the crazy stories,” she replied, with a half of a smile on her face. Her eyes didn’t twinkle along.  
“So? That doesn’t mean you’re not interesting. I’ve never seen two friends who’re so silent,” Kai went on. Krystal noticed the already weak smile fade off Amber’s face. Oh, how she hoped Luna would be back soon. She would’ve never predicted that she’d think that.  
“Maybe there’s simply nothing to discuss when you’re around.”  
“What’s that supposed to-“  
“Behold! My crème brûlée!”  
Luna came back into the room with four small cups of their dessert on a small silver plate, raised above her head, right at the moment Kai was about to get up. Amber didn’t take her eyes off him. She had her teeth clenched so much that her jawline became even sharper. Kai looked like he was about to punch her in the face.  
Luna immediately noticed the grim mood at the table. She lowered the plate. Her eyes went from Amber to Kai and eventually to Krystal.  
“What’s up, guys?” she asked softly. Kai cleared her throat and stood up.  
“Nothing, I just have to go to the bathroom for a bit,” he said stiffly. Kai showed a weak smile to Luna, trying to save the situation. No one was fooled.  
“Oh, of course sweetie, it’s at the end of the hall, right door,” Luna directed him. Kai immediately walked off.  
Luna placed the plate on the table and put her hands in her side. She let her gaze go from Amber to Krystal and back before she sighed.  
“Really, what’s up with you two? This was supposed to be a nice dinner.”  
“It was never going to be fun for us either way.”  
Amber dropped her napkin on her plate a bit too aggressively and stood up to walk back towards the kitchen. With a shock, Krystal realized that with ‘us’ she meant Krystal and her. Luna looked baffled and watched Amber walk away. The other woman sighed again and let herself fall back down on her chair.  
After a few moments she looked up to Krystal.  
“Aren’t you going after her?” she asked. Krystal blinked a couple of times, then bit her lip.  
“I’m not supposed to.”  
“Yeah you were also not supposed to sleep with her but you did anyway. Just follow your heart for once, that monkey is having a hard time right now.”  
That sentence felt like a hit in the face. Krystal stared at Luna with wide eyes.  
“You’re her-“  
“-Friend, nothing more. I’m her friend, but you’re the person she likes,” Luna interrupted her. Krystal chuckled softly and looked down.  
“You can’t be in love after meeting once,” she said, even though she damn well knew that her own feelings were the proof of the contrary. Luna sighed and shook her head.  
“Maybe she has never fallen out of love, did you ever think about that? Otherwise we would’ve been more than friends with benefits, you know, I have my charms. But we are not. Because did you know what she told me when I asked her on a date? She said she couldn’t, because there was still a part of her attached to somebody else. And I have a very strong feeling that that person is you, Krystal. So now, god damn it, go after her and get her back at this table. I will not have my dinner ruined by you two love birds.”  
Krystal opened her mouth to object, but there was nothing to say. She closed it again, then as quietly as possible stood up from the table and walked over to the kitchen.

Amber stood with her back to the kitchen dresser, her arms folded in front of her chest and her eyes closed. When Krystal came in, she didn’t look up, nor showed any sign to show that she had heard her heals click on the stone floor. Only when Krystal placed her hands on the dresser on each sides of Amber and came closer, the other woman opened her eyes. There still was a sense of hardness in them. Krystal saw so much of that old rebel in her.  
“Your fiancé is a prick, did you know that?” Amber said. Krystal laughed softly and nodded.  
“Yeah I know. But I think he’s especially being a prick towards you,” she said. Amber lifted one of her eyebrows.  
“You know, he’s kind of.. intimidated,” she said, whispering the last word. This made Amber chuckle softly.  
“Of course, have you seen my biceps? I’d be intimidated by me too,” she replied. Krystal laughed. Her laugh slowly faded and she looked back up to Amber again. Amber smiled back to her. Slowly, she moved her arms. Krystal laid them across Amber’s hips, curling them softly around her waist. Amber looked a bit surprised, but she wasn’t the kind of woman who was taken by surprise quickly or let it control her. She also wrapped her arms around Krystal’s shoulders, pulling her into a hug. With a sigh, she nuzzled her face in the crook of Amber’s neck.  
“I want to go…” she muttered sadly. Amber’s hand moved and she now stroke Krystal’s hair softly.  
“I know.. I know.. Half an hour, tops. I’ll make an excuse that I have to go after that, so you can go home.”  
“But I don’t want to go home…”  
Amber stayed silent. Softly she let out a sigh. They stayed like that for a couple of moments, with Krystal’s arms around Amber’s waist and Amber softly stroking her hair to reassure her. Amber’s smell hadn’t changed at all these past few years, Krystal noticed, she still smelled like summer was just around the corner.

Minutes passed and Krystal eventually looked up to her. Amber looked back. She could feel herself drown in those deep dark brown orbs. And without thinking, she brought her face closer to Amber’s. The other woman bowed down to meet her. Their lips were just about to touch when they heard Luna’s voice coming from the living room:  
“AMBER! KRYSTAL! Kai is back!”  
They jumped apart, as if Kai was about to walk in on them. A bit startled, they exchanged a glance. Then, Krystal started to chuckle.  
”Oh, she has such a loud voice..” she giggled. Amber laughed too.  
”Tell me something. You gotta see how she records her songs, we have to tone her down every time.”  
Krystal snickered. Amber took her hand in hers and pinched it for a moment. Krystal pinched back. After that, they left for the living room.  
”Had a nice pis?” Amber asked, as soon as she sat down. Kai stared at her in disbelief.  
”Well, you said that we’re rather quiet, didn’t you? So, I decided to be a good host and ask you about your life. Pee or poop?”  
Luna slapped Amber hard across the shoulder. The other woman didn’t even whine.  
“Stop it! That’s gross. I don’t wanna know. I don’t think anyone here at this table wants to know,” she snapped. Amber just laughed. Krystal had to place her hand in front of her mouth to not burst out in giggles too. Kai shot her a foul look.  
“Anyway-“ Luna started again,”-let’s end this dinner with my amazing dessert. I’m sure you’ll love it!”  
Luna started to hand out the small cups with custard. The upper layer was perfectly caramelized. It sure looked like Luna had a lot of experience. They all digged into the crème brûlée and it was honestly delicious. Even Krystal couldn’t help to make a few sounds of pleasure. She had to admit that this dessert was definitely worthy 5 stars at least. Luna looked with a big grin at the other three people at the table, who were literally devouring the dessert as soon as they could.

After everyone was done, Krystal and Kai helped to clear the table. They all sat down again around the coffee table this time. The brunette couldn’t help to let her eyes dart to the place of the couch she had given Amber her first orgasm, that night. They had not been able to make it to the bedroom before Krystal’s desire took over and she had promptly pulled the other woman to the couch.  
Her cheeks reddened at the memory.  
“Shall I bring you some coffee? A cappuccino, espresso? Or some tea-“ Luna started, but she was rudely interrupted by Amber’s obvious coughing.  
“Luna, I think you forgot I still have to go somewhere. I have an appointment tonight,” she said. Krystal shot her a thankful look, but Luna tilted her head in confusion.  
“Oh, I didn’t know. Well, you can just go and I can take care of Krystal and Kai, can’t I?”  
“Eh, isn’t it kind of weird if you three stay in my apartment without me?” Amber laughed.  
“I have a key and I can take Jack Jack out before I go so-“  
Amber shot her a look and Luna’s eyes suddenly grew big.  
“Hmm, now that you say so, it indeed is a bit weird,” she laughed awkwardly. With an apologetic look, she turned her gaze to Krystal and Kai.  
“That doesn’t matter, we were just about to go,” Kai said. Thank god, thought Krystal.  
“I’m sorry it couldn’t last longer. But we just have to make another date soon!” Luna chirped. Kai nodded in agreement. Krystal looked to the ground. “I’ll just get your coats, wait for a moment.”  
Luna darted off, which left them alone with Amber.  
“Thank you for your hospitality,” Kai said, in an attempt to break the silence. Amber showed a weak smile. She’s not very good in pretending to be nice, Krystal thought amusedly. Of course, when she was young she never had to be nice when she didn’t want to. But nowadays, that came with her job and responsibility. It doesn’t suit her much.  
”No problem.”  
Luna came back with their coats and handed them to them. They said their goodbyes, hugged everyone and Krystal and Kai left the apartment.  
As soon as they sat in the car again, Kai let all of his frustrations go.  
“What an incredible, rude, scruffy-looking asshole is that friend of yours,” he hissed. Krystal decided not to look at him and keep her eyes on the road, even though it wasn’t she who was driving.  
“She’s nice to me…” she said softly. Kai huffed.  
“Of course she is nice to you, she’s your friends. But really, Krys, I don’t know what you see in her but she’s terrible. Stubborn and impolite and insulting and she has no respect for anyone else! I don’t know how a woman like Luna can end up with her.”  
Krystal bit down on her lip.  
“Don’t you think you might be the problem? If everyone at that table likes her instead of you, perhaps it’s not her fault.”  
Krystal barely didn’t dare to say it. Kai stayed silent for a moment.  
“No. Defenitely not,” he eventually grumbled. “I know refinement when I see it and believe me, Krystal, she is not it. You might do better to stay away from her.”  
She sighed and let her head rest against the car window.  
“Yeah, I might.”

The rest of the car ride they stayed silent. As soon as they got home, Kai opened the last few buttons of his blouse, exposing his toned belly muscles. Krystal couldn’t help to take a look at them, but she found herself not as much attracted to them anymore as she once had been. Amber’s abs looked better…  
She kicked off her shoes as was about to walk to the bathroom when she suddenly felt two strong arms curl around her waist. Her breathing stopped for a moment. She immediately placed her hands upon Kai’s hoping to wriggle out of this position, but he kept her firmly locked in his arms.  
“Didn’t you say that dress would be beneficial for me tonight?” he whispered in her ear. The colour drained from Krystal’s face and her mouth grew dry. A feeling of panic rushed through her body.  
“I-I, ye-yes I might have said that,” she stuttered. Kai chuckled lowly and spun her around. Within a second her back was pressed against the wall. Kai’s lips were immediately in her neck. Krystal placed her hands flat on his chest to push him away, but he was so much stronger than she was.  
“Kai, st-stop!” she eventually managed to get out in a broken voice. Kai looked up in confusion, both of his eyebrows pulled up. Then he started to smile.  
“Come on, Krystal, just for once.”  
She stared at him with wide eyes.  
“No,” she said firmly. Kai’s smile faded off his lips immediately.  
“You do know that it has been more than two weeks since we’ve been intimate?” he sissed. Krystal swallowed audibly.  
"I-I can't... Not today," she said quickly, before ducking under his arms and distancing herself from him. She immediately wrapped her arms around her body. She was shaking a little bit. Kai folded his arms in front of his chest, he looked livid.  
"If you're trying to make me more attracted with you by turning me down then-"  
"I'm not. I just.. can't."  
Kai opened his mouth to say something but closed it again. They stared at each other for a few moments.  
"You know, Krystal, there's always an excuse. 'You're too tired'. 'You just showered'. 'You are not in the mood'. 'You're on your period'. 'You didn't take your birth control pill'. I'm starting to get the feeling that you just don't want to be intimate with me," he said slowly.  
"No, no, it's not that-" Krytal immediately started, but her voice got caught in her throat as soon as she wanted to give an explanation. Because Kai was right. She didn't want to.  
"Then come on."  
And Krystal could see the fury in his eyes, the passion, the desire, the hurt of not feeling wanted. And she couldn't get herself to say no.

Later that night she sat in the bathroom, long after Kai had fallen asleep. With her knees pulled up, a sharp aching between her thighs and tears running down over her face, she couldn't help but to wish that she was with Amber right now. She would've never made her feel this way.


	20. Chapter nineteen

After the dinner, Krystal didn't see Amber for several days. More often than not, they texted. The ammount of cheesiness was above the avarage level, enough for someone to classify them as more than friends and Krystal knew that if someone would ever get their hands on her phone, she'd be exposed. But with her phone either always in her pocket or her purse, she continued her secret betrayal.  
She had decided to spend her Sunday with Jessica because she couldn't stand to look at Kai after that Saturday night. Sunday passed and a new week at Jung Internationals started. Luckily, as a Vice President there was always something to do. Krystal made that week long office hours, simply because she didn't want to go home.

Krystal had also left their apartment rather early that Friday morning. Stopping by in the cantine first for a cup of coffee, she eventually got upstairs to her office and started up her laptop.  
She was rather content about the office her father had given her. The walls were light, with one that was completely made out of wall-sized windows, giving her a nice view over the busy shopping street Jung Internationals's headquarters was close too. Her desk was made out of mainly glass too, and it was accompanied by a relaxing black leather chair. There was a long black couch with a small coffee table for if she was receiving more than one visitor and a few plants, for decoration.  
She took a sip of her coffee, which had cooled down enough to drink. As soon as she opened her internetbrowser, several notations popped up on the screen. Krystal put her mug down and clicked at the notifications. She was directed to her mailbox, in which she saw several mails. That was not quite unusual. As Vice President she got a lot of mails. From business partners, from employees, from associates at the news station, from anybody really. But the sender of one specific mail caught her eye. It said 'j.liu.economics@gmail.com'. Wasn't that Jackie Liu's email?  
Since a few months, Jacob Liu had resigned as CEO from Liu Economics, passing over his title to his eldest daughter, Jackie. Since Krystal and Jackie had always gotten along pretty well, the relationships between Liu Economics and Jung Internationals had gotten even better. Now that it was almost Krystal's time to shine too, she and Jackie regularly had contact by mail. Mostly about business, but the two upcoming CEOs often couldn't help to bring in a little small talk.  
But she hadn't expected a mail from Jackie today. The monthly meet up with the representatives of Liu Economics was still a week away and usually they didn't communicate through mail about that. There was also no subject to discuss because all the products they had collaborated on had appeared on the market already. There were no new projects that needed discussing.  
Curiously, Krystal opened the mail and scanned the text quickly. She blinked a couple of times confusedly, before getting up from her chair. With fast strikes she walked out of her office. Even though it was still early, the company was already buzzing with employees. Her PA* Eloisa hadn't come in yet, causing her to walk to her father's office herself. Without knocking, she walked in, but there was no one. With a quick look on her watch she saw that her father's shift hadn't started yet. But she didn't want to miss him, so she stayed in his office.

An hour passed and her father wasn't there yet. Half an hour past the time he usually started. Krystal started to worry. What had happened? Her father, despite his old age, always came in on time or even earlier. He lived for his job and for his company. There was nothing rather he'd do than to google all his achievements. Then why didn't he come in yet? Did he perhaps have a meeting? That was unlikely; who had a meeting at half past 9 in the morning?  
Krystal took out her phone and hit the speed dial for Eloisa. Her assistant immediately picked up.  
"Yes, Miss Jung?"  
"Has my father come in yet?" she asked immediately.  
"Let me check the employees history..." There was a silence, but eventually she heard a small discouraging noise. Krystal sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.  
"I'm sorry, he's not here."  
"And he has been at the company for the past few days like he does normally? His hours, his breaks, check them all," she directed. A strange feeling settled in her lower belly.  
There was another sielence.  
"He went home early for the past ten days... One time he took a lunch break that was trice as long as he normally does... But Miss, I don't know why this could be of help-"  
Krystal shook her head, but then realized that Eloisa wouldn't be able to see that.  
"It doesn't matter, thank you. I know enough."

Ten minutes later she was in her car, speeding up faster than she was allowed to over the highway. Nowadays she knew the road by heart and didn't have to think anymore.  
It took her a little less to arrive at the hospital. She parked her car in the parking lot and got out as fast as possible. With fast passes she walked towards the front of the building, almost running. Once inside, she walked up to the reception. The man behind the counter looked up and smiled friendly when he saw her approach.  
"In which room is Charlie Jung?" she asked. He typed something on his laptop, then made the kind of face people make when it's painful to tell something.  
"I'm not allowed to say anything about VIP patients, ma'am," he said respectfully. Krystal sighed, took her wallet out of her bag and showed him her ID.  
"I'm his daughter."  
The man squinted his eyes when he looked at her identity information, but eventually he budged, shrugged and gave her back her pass.  
"He's in room 5003, fifth floor," he said. Krystal took her ID back and placed it back in her wallet before she smiled sweetly — with a hint of annoyance — at him and thanked him quickly. Krystal immediately walked towards the elevators.

Five minutes later and she was upstairs. It didn't take her long to find the right room: there were only 5 VIP rooms. Without even knocking, she barged in. Her mother almost jumped up from her chair, and her father — who was in the hospital bed — looked up with a frown. Once he noticed it was his youngest daughter in the doorframe, he sighed, closed his eyes and pinched his the bridge of his nose.  
"I thought you said you were getting better, dad," Krystal said sharply. Her father slowly opened his eyes again.  
"I was.."  
"And yet you're here, in the hospital, with ten nurses monitoring you 24 hours a day," she barked. "I want you to be honest with me, dad. For one fucking time, be honest with me."  
"Krystal! Watch your tone!" her mother hissed.  
"No, let her be. I deserved it," her father said. He sounded tired, Krystal noticed, too tired for a man of his age. Her father had only just passed fifty, wasn't that a bit too young to sound like someone whose bones hurted him all day long? "When did you find out?"  
Krystal sighed and took one of the spare chairs in the room. She lifted it and put it next to her father's bed, across from her mother.  
"I got a mail from Jackie Liu this morning, she was concerned because you hadn't replied to her mail yet that she had sent three days ago," Krystal staid. Her father nodded, understanding. It wasn't uncommon for CEO's to only answer mails a few days later, but Liu Economics was Jung Internationals' greatest ally. Already for more than twenty years, the two companies closely work together and that was why the communicatin with Liu Economics is important and should taken with great care. Logically Jackie got suspicious that her father hadn't answered her after two days.  
"Of course..." he muttered slowly. "Have you sent her my greatest apologies?"  
Krystal shook her head.  
"I haven't replied yet. I guessed it would be handy first to ask you why you even had contact with her when there are no new projects going on regarding Liu Economics."  
Her father scratched the back of his head, visibly uncomfertably. Her mother grabbed his free hand and pinched it. Krystal frowned.  
"Just tell her, honey.."  
"Tell me what?" Krystal hissed. "I swear to God, dad, if you cannot even tell your own daughter and vice president then I don't know anymore-"  
"It's not that, Krystal," her father sighed tiredly. "I was keeping this a secret for you because I wanted to tell it at the right moment... I'm retiring. Now that I permanently need rest, I won't be able to keep up with the company anymore. A CEO can't make 6 hours a day, that's too little for the company to run well. So I decided to step away from it... and leave it to you."  
Krystal's deep frown dissapeared slowly from her face the longer her father went on. With wide eyes, she stared at her father. He smiled reassuringly, but that didn't prevent the bubble of panic to burst in her stomach, sending her whole body in a shock.  
"Th-that means.." she stuttered. Her father's smile grew a bit bigger when he saw his daughter's worried face. He let go of his wife's hand and took hers instead, pinching reassuringly.  
"Yes, you're going to be the leader of Jung Internationals. I know you'll do well, Krystal, since you're a daughter of mine."  
Tears appeared in Krystal's eyes and spilled over her cheeks before she could even whipe them away. Mr. Jung chuckled softly. His chuckle was converted into a heavy cough, causing him to let go of Krystal's hand quickly to place them in front of his mouth. And she wanted to help him, because the sound was agonizing, but she was still in a daze.  
Jung Internationals would be hers...  
Quickly she whiped the tears from her face.  
After a few moments her father calmed down again. He pressed Krystal's hand against his mouth and kissed her fingers. Krystal couldn't help but to start grinning.  
"The wedding is in three months. I think I'll be able to last until then. I'll try to come to work as much as possible, but you'll already be taking over a large ammount of my work. You'll get the entire company as a wedding gift."  
Her grin fell immediately.  
"A-a wedding gift?"  
Her voice had grown so small that even she was barely able to hear it. Her father chuckled and raised one of his grey eyebrows.  
"What? Are you so eager to start? Don't worry about it, just focus on the wedding for now, the company will come later. I'm sure you'll do a great job as the new CEO. Oh, Krystal, I'm so proud of you. You couldn't make me prouder."  
If only Krystal could be proud of herself...

An hour later and she was back in her car. After her father's revelation that Krystal would become the CEO of Jung Internationals after her wedding had given her the constant feeling that she needed to throw up. After quickly asking what was actually wrong with her father — the doctors had stated that he had a high blood pressure and narrowed blood vessels in his brain, and because his job was rather stressful, he wasn't allowed to do that anymore — Krystal wanted to get out as quickly as she could because she was scared she was going to get a panic attack in front of her parents.  
Now that she was back in her car, she suddenly felt a lot safer, even though she was alone now. But God... what a mess had she worked herself into. A deep sigh escaped her lips. She closed her eyes, albeit with a frown on her face, and tried to concentrate on what to do next. It felt like she was in a bubble and was fighting to breathe. It was hard to think and the longer she tried to think, the less she was able to.  
It felt like she was back being a teenager again. She again had to choose between the life she wanted to live and love. Sometimes, Krystal wondered if every adult's life was so hard as was hers. Did they have trouble finding a partner too? Were they about to marry the wrong person too? Did their job forced them to do things they did not like? Or perhaps, was she the only one who had to choose between her position and love?  
Krystal didn't want to choose. She just wanted to be selfish and arrogant for once and have Amber and the company both. Back when she was 18 it had already been hard enough to choose, but back then there wasn't a company worth 1,5 billion dollars involved. And let's not forget Kai. If she broke up with him now, he would know that she had never actually been in love with him. She felt bad, because he truly was a great guy. He was the type of guy that could be classified as Prince Charming; always bringing her flowers, doing his chores, taking her out for dinner and otherwise cooking a delicious meal at home. He showered her with affection and really wanted her to be happy. And that she couldn't be happy with him made her almost start hating herself.  
But Krystal had long gotten over that. The moment Amber and Krystal had broken up eight years ago she had wallowed in self pity and hatred. It even came to a point in which she fell into a depression because she couldn't live with herself anymore. Jessica was never far away back then. She was the person who taught her how to love herself again, and that her mistakes were in the past now and that she couldn't do anything to change them anymore. It'd be better not to get fed up because of the past anymore because it couldn't be changed. And so Krystal became the person who she was before she met Amber again, with a few years of hard work. But she was actually fine now. She was fine without Amber and she would be fine without her. Because she has Jessica and she has Kai. And maybe he wasn't the person she wanted to marry, but she could grow to love him over time.

Krystal took out her phone out of her purse and send one final text. After that, she deleted the number and shut off her phone. With an empty feeling in her stomach, she started the car and drove back to the company.


	21. Chapter twenty

The following week, there was no message back. Krystal's heart had ached when she had sent the good-bye message, but she knew it was for the best. They'd never see each other again, and she could live a happy life. Well, it wouldn't be as happy as it could have been if she had just chosen for love instead of the company, but she was willing to sacrifice that piece of her for the company.  
Krystal had actually already found piece with her decision. It was easy to pretend there had nothing been going on between them, that their one night stand was just a fling and that it had been a desperate need for love. But they both had someone else who loved them. Kai and Luna deserved their love and Krystal perhaps was ready to give it him now.

With an eased mind and heart, she had walked into Jung Internationals that morning. With her favourite mug filled with steaming coffee, she walked up towards the meeting room. Today was Liu Economics and Jung Internationals' monthly meeting. Jackie would be coming t discuss any problems. The whole conversation would probably be about her father and Krystal's future.  
Usually the meetings were quite casual. Jackie often brought her two seconds in lead and her father brought Krystal. Because Krystal was still the vice president, she'd be alone now, meeting the others by herself. She didn't mind much. Jackie was a gift and she was one of the nicest persons she knew in this industry. More than often her father was silenced by the two eagerly discussing ladies. So why couldn't she do it on her own now?  
Without a thing on her mind, she entered the meeting room. Eloisa had already put a bowl with good-smelling buns on the table, together with a few small plates. There were five glasses with water with icecubes. Krystal didn't even realize that there was one too many.  
She sat down in her father's spot, at the head of the table. Until Jackie arrived, she played on her phone. Today she didn't have any appointments but Jackie, so she'd have a 'chill day' for once. Other problems could wait.  
A quarter passed by, and Krystal was just about to take a look on her watch what time it was, when she saw people enter. With Eloisa on front to guide the small group of people — even though Jackie would probably know the way by now — they entered the meeting room. Krystal put her phone away and stood up to invite them all. Jackie immediately walked over to her, shaking her hand like they always did. Krystal smiled widely.  
"It's good to see you again, I hope you have been well?" Jackie asked her. Krystal nodded.  
"Of course. I hope you have been well too?" she asked. Jackie chuckled in response.  
"Always."  
Jack sat down at Krystal's right hand. In the mean while, she shook the hands of the other people who came in; Jackie's two vice presidents. One was an older, Afro-American man with a skin that seemed to be made of ebony. His temples had already turned grey, but his eyes were still lively and bore this playful glitter.  
"Nice to see you again, Jackson," Krystal said. Jackson smiled and nodded.  
"You get prettier every time I see you, Miss Jung."  
Krystal gave him a soft slap on the shoulder, and Jackson chuckled. He sat down next to Jackie. Behind him came a tiny latina, with black hair reaching all the way 'till her butt. She had a clapboard in her arms and a pen between her fingers. Her eyes were almond shaped and friendly, with some light make-up. She was younger than Krystal, some sort of apprentice. Jackson was momentarily Jackie's second hand, but if there was something to happen to Jackson, she was going to take over.  
"Hello, Valentina," Krystal greeted. The girl smiled back widely, showing her white teeth.  
"How's it going, Krystal?" Valentina asked, as she sat down. Krystal chuckled.  
"I'm fine, thank you" she replied. "Shall we start then?"  
Jackie coughed to clear her throat.  
"Actually, I'm still waiting for someone, but I'm sure she'll arrive in a few moments."  
Krystal raised her eyebrows. Normally, Jackie didn't bring anymore people than Jackson and Valentina.  
"Well, if she'll arrive soon, we can just start, can't we?" Krystal said, smiling kindly. The other agreed by slowly nodding their heads.  
Eloisa took the small plates and handed them out to the four people at the table. They all took a small roll. Jackson immediately took a bite and so did Jackie.

An hour passed and Krystal doubted whether the extra guest Jackie had invited was still to come.  
So she had eventually just begun with the meeting. As predicted, it was all about her father and the future of Jung Internationals. Krystal told them all about her father, how he was in the hospital at the moment because his blood pressure was extremely high, causing him not to be able to be the Chairman of Jung Internationals anymore. Instead, he would pass his title to his daughter in a few months. Krystal didn't tell Jackie that she would get the company as a wedding gift. Even though she and Jackie were rather close — as close as you could be as collegues — it was weird to talk with her about Kai and her upcoming wedding. Jackie was still Amber's sister, and if she told Amber anything about her wedding and the overlapping handover of the company, would she be able to make up that Krystal had chosen the company over her? And otherwise, it'd still be awkward. Work and private life were best lived separated.  
Even though Jackie Liu couldn't directly make decision in Jung Internationals, Krystall still valued her opinion more than everything. The two women were much alike, but Jackie had a few years extra in age on her, meaning she also had a few extra years experience in business. She had become a CEO one year ago, so she'd be the perfect person to judge her and the situation.  
"I think you'll do well, Krystal," Jackie said, after Krystal was done telling her story. "You have the same intelligence and insight level as your father and with a fresh dose of feminism, I think you can take Jung Internationals to a whole new level."  
Jackson and Valentina immediately agreed loudly. Krystal noticed from the corner of her eyes someone coming at the meeting room through the glass door, but she didn't pay any attention to it. It was probably Eloisa.  
"Yes, I think that-" Jackson started.  
The door opened, someone stepped in. Valentina gasped.  
"What do you think, Jackson?" a familiar voice said. Krystal froze in her seat. Her breath got caught in her thoat. Her nails digged into the soft wood of the table, leaving marks. All the colour drained from her face. Her body almost seemed to be in shock.  
Amber stepped into the meeting room, a half-grin on her face. Krystal didn't dare to look behind her, hoping that if she didn't see her, that she wouldn't be there.  
"You didn't forget that I'd come, did you?" she asked. Krystal winced at her voice.  
Jackie sighed and looked at her sister.  
"Like we could ever forget you. You're too present. Sit down, please. I brought my little sister, because she wanted to see what my average day looked like, she asked me to. I hope you don't mind, Krystal?" Jackie asked. Krystal opened her mouth to say something, but her throat had become so dry that it was hard to speak. Her tongue felt like sandpaper in her mouth.  
"N-no," she eventually managed to get out, in a voice that was suddenly too hoarse to be normal. Krystal sat down across from Jackie, on Krystal's left side, immediately taking one of the buns and taking a bite. She immediately sunk down into her chair, with her legs spread and a piece of bread sticking out of her mouth.  
"Great," Amber said enthustiastically. "Then, ladies, don't be bothered by me, continue with your conversation. I'll just listen and observe."  
Krystal still didn't dare to look at her. She was so close, close enough that Krystal could smell her parfume. A summer breeze... She almost could feel herself loose consciousness because of that.  
Krystal hadn't expected that she'd see Amber anymore. It wasn't like they were in the same industry, or that they had communual friends or that they lived near each other. They would only see each other if one of them made an effort...  
Amber made an effort, she realized. She came here on purpose. There was no way that Amber Josephine Liu, who had turned her father down several times when he asked her if she wanted to work at the company, suddenly was interested in Liu Economics, let alone wanted to attend the meeting with Jung Internationals. Amber was here for Krystal, no doubt.  
"I-I have to use the bathroom" Krystal stuttered. With her teeth sank deep in her lower lip, she quickly stood up, with shaky legs, and walked as fast as possible about of the meeting room. Almost tripping over her feet, Krystal eventually found the bathroom. She immediately opened the tap and splashed some cold water in her face. Her arms shook when she held herself up against the sink, looking in the mirror, seeing how the drips of water ran from her face into her neck and over her back. She felt like throwing up. Even though she was shivering, her cheeks were burning hot, scorching almost.  
"Fuck..." she breathed. She placed one hand on her forehead and closed her eyes for a moment. "Fuck, fuck fuck..."  
She had never known that Amber would do this. In fact, she would've expected her to move on quickly too, because she hadn't heard anything of her anymore. But now that she was here, it was obvious she was angry, really, really angry. And there was no way to avoid a confrontation.  
Would she have the guts to tell Amber what she had done? Krystal knew she didn't. But she needed to go back into that meeting room, she could not stay away forever. Even though she'd rather dissapear right now and never come back...

Krystal dried her face, fixed her hair and walked back. Amber and Jackie were chatting up, just like Jackson and Valentina. Only now she got a good look of the woman. Her lower lip contained several old wounds, little cuts that had just begun to heal. Her right eye looked like it had been blue for the last couple of days, but that it was healing now too and the skin had almost returned to the previous colour. She wore her leather jacket, a black, tight fitting t-shirt and dark grey jeans with open knees. Her hair fell casually across her forehead, probably to reveal her eye.  
Jackie and Amber both looked up to her as soon as she came in, although only Jackie had a smile on her face. Krystal sat down at the head of the table again and cleared her throat.  
"Is it necessary to discuss more, Jackie? I told you everything about my father and-"  
"You wouldn't want us to leave, now, do you?" Amber interrupted, chuckling softly. It wasn't the light chuckle she usually let people hear. It was a bit dark, with a hidden undertone that she actually didn't mean well. Krystal froze. That was exactly what she wanted, for them to leave, but it wasn't supposed to be so obvious. Jackie shot her younger sister a foul look.  
"I'm sure Krystal has much more to do than talk with us all day now that her father is in the hospital. I think we're all through for today," Jacke hissed, more to Amber than to Krystal. The woman packed her stuff.  
"My apologies for neglecting you and Liu Economics. Expect better communication in the coming few days," Krystal quickly said. Jackie turned to her and smiled warmly.  
"Don't worry about it. Just keep me updated on your father, it's such a shame the old boss is having so much trouble with his health."  
Krystal nodded. Jackie was the first to get up. Jackson and Valentina followed. Amber looked at them for a moment, probably weighing her options, but eventually got up too. They all shook her hand, showed her a smile or nodded... except for Amber. She just walked past her without saying a word. Krystal could feel the ice beaming off of her. Her throat was swollen with sadness.

The group of people left. Eloisa led them downstairs again and Krystal quickly dissapeared into her office. With a sigh she let herself fall onto her leather couch, immediately burying her face into the soft pillows. God, how she felt horrible. The look on Amber's face had cut right through her heart. Betrayal and sadness and anger all piled up into one horrifying look that made her tear up too.  
She laid there for perhaps five minutes when her body grew restless and she got up from the couch. Krystal was about to walk back to her desk and start up her laptop — a good dose of work always did her well when her mind was troubled — when she heard the door open.  
"I don't need coffee yet, thanks Eloisa," Krystal said, without looking up.  
"I'm not your cheap coffee lady."  
Krystal almost choked on her own spit. She stopped, frozed right where she was. The door fell shut, she heard footsteps coming closer. Her cheeks burned like they were on fire. Her hands formed fists and she pinched so hard that she felt her nails dig painfully in the skin of her hand.  
Amber's hand grabbed her wrist, turned her around so that they were facing each other. Krystal couldn't help to look at her eye immediately, her bashed lip that was still dark purple. She had to suppress the urge to touch her face with the tips of her fingers.  
"Amber..."   
Her voice was tiny, barely hearable, but Amber chuckled mischievous anyway. She rolled her eyes and let Krystal's wrist go. Her smile dissapeared from her face, and suddenly it turned annoyed, angry. Her frown caused her whole forehead to wrinkle.  
"Are you not going to ask me why I'm here? Or perhaps... do you already know?" she added, as she pulled up one eyebrow. Krystal shook her head.  
"How did you know where my office was?" she asked her. Amber chuckled and rolled her eyes again.  
"You know, it's not more than child's play to break into here. Chumming up to your personal assistant who's so clearly into girls — and probably into you too — stealing her key card in a hug and getting in here was too easy. You should change your security system to the new face recognision system like we have, much more diffecult to get into."  
Krystal frowned. She was a tad disturbed by the fact that Amber had just chatted up Eloisa just to break into her office. Incredibly smart, of course, something she could've expected from Amber but she couldn't help to be a little bit jealous. Focus, Soojung, she thought. You let her go. You shouldn't be jealous. You're being ridiculous.  
"Why are you here?" she asked icily. Amber huffed.  
"Because we had something, Krystal. And it mightn't have been much, but it was something and you shut me out without a reason. I want to know why so I can decide whether you're just a bitch playing with people's hearts or a sad, misunderstood girl who's having a hard time."  
Krystal blinked a few times with her eyes, completely taken back by Amber's words.  
"I don't know what you're trying to accomplish here, Amber. Fact is that we can't be together. I only just was the first one to end our fling."  
Amber's eyes squinted together.  
"Fling?" she spoke the word with care. "That's what I am to you? A fling? Someone you can replace at any given moment?"  
Krystal opened her mouth, at first to say something to calm her down, to tell her that she wasn't just a fling. But she closed it again and looked down. She'd only make it worse.  
Amber was rigid.  
"I think I was wrong about you then. I thought you hadn't changed a single bit, that you were still the same girl I knew eight years ago. But this shit company changed you for the worse. I didn't know you'd be as stupid as this," Amber spat. Krystal stepped back, but Amber just stepped foreward so they stayed close. Krystal's heart beated fast in her chest, pumping adrenaline through her body.  
"I have not changed... that's why I did it... I chose the company over you just like I chose my father over you when we were eightteen..." Krystal said softly. Amber huffed.  
"That's bullshit. Back then at least you had a valid reason. Your parents are assholes and they'd be rude to us if we went on. Your father wouldn't have taken you in in his company et cetera, et cetera. But this time, Krystal, you do it because you're too lazy to face whatever concequences there are to be. Has it ever occured to you that you can have both and that you don't have to choose between a good career and a miserable life or no career and a good life. You can have both but I don't think you can even see that far. You choose the path that is the least trouble to you so you cut me off. Why on fucking earth-"  
"BECAUSE YOU RUINED ME!" Krystal blurted out in pure desperation. Amber fell silent. Her lower lip quivered and she started at the other woman with tears in her eyes.  
"Because you ruined me..." she repeated, softer. "I could have lived a troubleless life, you know? If I had never met you, I would've never goten into this mess. I could have loved Kai with all of my heart and I would not have to choose between my heart or my brain. We'd both be happy... and the worst part is that I wouldn't want it to be that way. I loved us, I loved what we had. I love the thrill of cheating on someone whom I don't love, I love loving you because it makes me feel alive in this dead world. But if I don't see you anymore, I thought, my life would be okay. Not as good as it would be if I had both you and the company, but it would be okay. And i'm okay with living an 'okay' life. It's enough for me, I can handle that...  
But when you're around I feel like giving up everything I've worked so hard for. and if I be with you now, then the sacrifice we made when we were eightteen would be in vain too. You make me want to do things I would never do if it was someone else and I hate myself for it. I hate myself for being in love with you, Amber, don't you understand?"  
Tears were now freely running over her face, and she didn't even try to hide them. Let Amber see how much in conflict she was, let her see how much she hated this situation and how much she wanted her. She looked down to her shoes, sobbing soflty. Amber stayed silent for a moment, then started to talk. Her voice was softer now, but still angry.  
"I won't let myself be pushed aside like that anymore, do you hear me? I won't be treated like some piece of old garbage. So I'm asking you right now, Krystal Jung, if all you feel about me is a fling. And if it was just a one time thing. I will go. I will leave and you'll have your happy perfect little life with your boring Prince Charming. But if I'm not, then I'm going to do everything in my power to stay and I won't be pushed over anymore. But you have to tell me. Am I just a fling to you?"  
Amber was out of breath when she ended her talk. Going from almost screaming to almost crying had exhausted her and Krystal knew how she felt. Holding in your emotions took every muscle of your body to keep everything inside. Krystal sniffled, looking back up to her. She smiled apologetically.  
"I can't tell you you're a fling.. because you are not," she said, in a broken voice. "We both know it."  
"Then act like it. Act like I'm the only person you will ever love."  
Krystal sniffled again.  
"You know I cannot do that," she said softly.  
"Then what are you willing to do for me, Krystal? Because all you have done is take little parts of me and there's nothing more you can take because you already own me. You already have everything. But there's still a whole lot of you that I have never seen before."  
Amber's voice had turned darker. Her gaze had deepened even more. By the look of her body language — her formed fists, her tense shoulders, her fastened breathing that idicated her troubled emotions — Krystal knew she almost lost her. It hit her like a truck that Amber was physically so close, but mentally so far away. And perhaps, that was the last straw that broke the camel's back.  
Krystal stepped foreward those last few centimeters and without even fully thinking through, she grabbed Amber's jacket firmly and placed her lips upon hers. It was supposed to be a soft kiss, but Amber's hand immediately shot up to her neck to cup her face and deepen the kiss passionately. They turned into a mess of rough kisses and panting against each other's lips. Krystal let herself be pushed against the desk, willingly let Amber do whatever she wanted because she knew this might as well be the last time. Tears streamed over both of their cheeks.  
When Amber pulled back, Krystal sought with her lips after hers, not wanting it to end. But Amber placed her hand upon Krystal's shoulder to keep her on a distance. Amber stayed close though, breathing hard and fast. Krystal was dazed on the scent of her parfume. It was enough to make her faint.  
"I'm giving you one last chance, Krystal Jung. Third time lucky," Amber whispered. Her voice was hoarse and husky, causing a shiver to run over her back and her belly to twist with lust.  
"Decide what you want. Two days. I won't receive any cowardy texts of yours anymore. You'll come to my apartment to tell me your answer, face to face. If you're only one minute late, it'll be over, even if you answer was to choose for me."  
And suddenly, she was gone. Amber had let her go, turned her back and walked with big strikes towards the door. Without saying anything more or looking over her shoulder, Amber left her office, whiping her cheeks right before she stepped around the corner and out of Krystal's sight.  
Still not being able to breathe properly, Krystal could only just stare at the spot Amber left, her mind still blank and her heart still racing. Eventually she calmed down a little, but with the calmness, the realization what had happened also came. With a grown she hid her face in her hands and cursed at herself.  
She heard a door open and a chuckle to fill the room.  
"Really, Miss, one hot husband on one side and fierce rebel like her on the other side? I'd be having a midlife crisis too."  
Krystal quickly whiped the tears off of her face and ran with her hand through her ruined hair. She looked up to her personal assistant and managed to place a weak smile on her face.  
"Oh, Eloisa, you don't know half of it..."


	22. Chapter twenty-one

Two days. She had two days to make a decision.  
She took time off from work to think. It was irresponsible to take time off now — her father was in hospital and the company was currently going through a busy time — but she reckoned that if she chose for Amber either way, it wouldn't matter what happened to the company anymore because it would never become hers. No way her father was going to let her become the CEO when the media could find out such a scandalous thing about her.  
Krystal had made an excuse to Kai that she didn't feel good. And in fact, she didn't. Her stomach twisted the whole day, her body was restless because her mind couldn't make up which decision she was going to choose. Amber or the company? Amber or the company...  
At night she laid awake long after her fiancee had fallen asleep. More often than not she got out of bed then, taking a stroll through the neighbourhood untill she was creeped out enough to find her way back into the warm bed next to the man she knew was able to protect her, only to get out half an hour later again and walk restlessly around the house.  
She wasn't a good conversationalist those two days. Actually, she had never been good at casually talking, but now that her mind was occupied with something else, she really spaced out. Kai had to ask her two or three times before she was able to respond. She felt a bit guilty for being so distant and dear god she wanted to talk about it with him so badly. There was a little hope that he would just step aside by himself because he wanted to grant her what her heart craved so badly. But she couldn't. She couldn't tell him because besides Amber he was the only person that wasn't family she trusted. She didn't want to loose him too. And despite not being in love with him, he was her best friend.  
But shit, she missed her. She missed Amber, she even missed her after their first, big fight. Krystal wanted to hold her and kiss her and sleep next to her and cuddle up to her and fade off into her own dream world whilst she was being accompanied by Amber's songs. Her heart sprang up every time her name came across her mind. It didn't take her long to realize that if she rejected Amber now, she'd never see her again and she'd regret it for the rest of her life. But she didn't want to loose the company...

The second day was almost ending. The 48 hours almost done...  
Kai was off to work when Krystal took her coat and her car keys to finally make her decision. On her way to Amber's place, she was still doubting, but she was almost entirely sure what she wanted now. And perhaps she was being selfish, and perhaps she threw someone good away after today, but she agreed with Amber: she had to make up her mind.  
She stopped her car in front of the apartment building. With a heavy heart she stepped out and entered the lobby. The overly-exciting lift music didn't brighten her mood, but turned her even more nervous as the elevator shot up to the top level. When the doors opened, she was welcomed with soft music. The front door to Amber's apartment was open. It was a strange sight, but Krystal guessed it was something you were able to do when you were home and you were the only one living on the top level.  
It was a slow melodie, with a sad edge to it. Suddenly the music stopped, then re-started, the same melodie. Curiously, Krystal stepped foreward. She knocked on the door, to announce she was there. The music stopped again.  
Amber came walking around the corner. She wore a simple white t-shirt with loose light blue jeans. Her hair was down and she was barefooted. She looked like truly like an angel.  
But her face was grim and almost expressionless and her cheeky grin was far from being seen. When she saw it was Krystal, her expression first changed to excited then a frown appeared on her face.  
"Come in.." she muttered. Krystal nodded and stepped through the doorframe. Awkwardly, she placed her arms around her waist, wondering if she should say something. Amber just stared at the ground.  
"What were you doing?" she eventually blurted out. Amber looked up and tilted her head slightly to the left.  
"Composing," she answered curtly.  
"Can I-can I hear it?"  
Amber chuckled, as if she said something very funny.  
"I never let someone listen to my songs before they're finished, not even Luna."  
"I'm not just someone."  
Amber looked at her with a strange expression. Then she smiled widely and shook her head. Whilst scratching the back of her head, she walked back to the living room. Back at the dinner, Krystal had already seen a black grand piano in the corner, near the wall-sized walls, but it had been closed. The black and white keys were visible now, and there were notebooks and sheets of music paper everywhere on the couch. It looked like a big music bomb had exploded in the living room. Amber walked towards the piano; her feet made sticky-sounds on the stone floor.  
She sat down on the stool that belonged with the piano. With her legs a little spread, her fingers hovering over the key and her back turned to Krystal, she seemed to have lost in her own world for a moment. Then her finger pressed a key, a high light tone that carried through the room like the singing of pixies. Another followed and soon the melodie she had heard in the hallway filled the livingroom again. And when she started to sing, it so easily blended with the sad tune.  
Amber sang the first two couplets and the chorus. It wasn't hard to understand, because the lyrics were formed by the memories between them. In the song, the two girls met at a party, seeing each other through the crowd. And they were lead by their hearts, even though their minds were supposed to be know better. The second couplet was a rap that talked about the fight they had, the harsh words that had fallen and the fight between heart and mind. Wanting to do the good thing but not being able to decide. Amber's voice had grown softer but faster and she almost sounded as if she was being choked, holding in her tears. And the chorus was written from the perspective of the girl who was left behind. She was alone, alone in the cold world that used to be sunny and bright. Without her, there was nothing to live for. And one sentence came back almost every time.  
Bogo shipda. Bogo shipda.  
Krystal hadn't been brought up bilingually, but she knew enough Korean from her parents to understand.  
I miss you. I miss you.

Amber stopped after playing the melodie of the chorus again, then let her hands slide off the keys and let her head hang. A loud sigh escaped her lips when she stood up.  
"It's about us..." Krystal muttered softly. Amber showed her a weak, pitying smile.  
"All the songs I ever wrote were about us... about you," she said. "I never produced Need to feel needed, you know? There simply was no other artist qualified enough to sing what I felt towards you. I had several offers to turn it into a hit, but I said no. All the other sad songs I composed I sold off as quickly as possible, because my feelings were written down on those papers. When they were produced, they no longer bothered me. It helped me get over us."  
Amber walked back to her, her face grim and her eyes thoughtful, as if she was still in her own fantasy world. Without looking at her, she said:  
"Do you now understand my point of view, why I gave you this chance to make it up? If it were anyone but you, I would've never even spoken to them back at the party. But you changed my life. I earned all this money-" to assist her words, she lifted her arm, pointing at all the wealthy things that could already only be found in the living room,"-because of my songs, the songs I would have never written if you hadn't broken me eight years ago. And every day I was reminded by these things that I still wasn't over you. And because I kept getting reminded, I wrote more songs. More songs meant more money and the more money I got the more I spent. I was trapped into this vicious circle that wouldn't end. Luna tried to help me snap out of it but it only got worse. And perhaps that's why I let myself go when I found you again, that's why you're getting a third chance right now because I know — and I'm so afraid — that things'll turn back to the way they used to be. And I'll be making a living, yes, I'll be a succesful composer. But that doesn't have any value to me if they're still sad love songs inspired by you."  
When Amber was done, tears had wettened her cheeks. Her hands had formed into fists but they still shook. And Krystla did the only thing in her power to console her, to let her know she felt so so sorry for what she had gone through because of her: she stepped foreward, placed both of her hands around Amber's cheeks and kissed her, long and deep. Amber kissed her back, but when they let go again, she still had the same empty expression on her face.  
"I suppose you didn't come here for me to talk guilt into you," she said. "When you tell me your decision, make sure to choose what your heart wants. And if that's not me, don't be afraid to say so. A person cannot be forced to love someone whom they don't love."  
Her voice was filled with sadness, as if she had already accepted her defeat.  
"I don't know why you're being like this, Amber, where's your confidence?" she asked. The other woman looked up with a frown, already opening her mouth to reply annoyedly. Krystal shushed her.  
"Kai has never been an option. I thought you knew that."  
Amber lifted her eyebrows surprisedly. A small smile appeared on her face.  
"I'm not used to you being so.. progressive," she said. Krystal smiled wider and shrugged.  
"Well, you said you hadn't seen everything of me yet. And I guess that's true. When I want something, I get it. It might be selfish but-"  
"No, it's not selfish," Amber interrupted her, with a chuckle. "It's just you seeking your happiness."  
"I should've done that eight years ago," Krystal sighed. She pointed her gaze down, to her shoes. "I'm sorry for.. for breaking us up, Amber. I really am."  
Krystal sighed as her happy, delighted mood suddenly turned to sadness. After what Amber had said to her, that every song she had ever written was about her, she felt incredibly guilty. Of course, she had had her hard parts too after the break up, but she had been able to drown herself in work to keep her mind off of the person she missed and focus completely on the goal she had wanted to achieve. Amber had done the same, but that resulted only in more sad songs. It indeed was a vicious circle that was hard to escape from. Krystal had never meant to break Amber so badly, nor had she thought that the cocky troublemaker would be much affected by their break up. The thought she used to console herself with was that Amber probably already had another girlfriend and had long forgotten about her.  
Clearly she had, and it felt only good to apologize. If only Amber could forgive her... then maybe they could start over again. But even with her hopes up, she knew it would be diffecult for her to do, and it would cost months, maybe years to regain her full trust. But that was a price she was willing to pay.  
Amber sighed and scratched the back of her head. Then she looked, her cheeky smile back on her face.  
"The most important thing is that we're back together. Everything else, that'll come later on a droopy, rainy night with a glass of wine. For now, just take your clothes off."  
Krystal's hand immediately shot up towards her breasts to cover them, even though she still wore her clothing. She shot Amber a confused, scared look. But when she started to laugh at her reaction, she slowly brought up her older arm and folded them in front of her chest, understanding that Amber didn't mean it that way. A huff left Krystal's mouth.  
"I meant, get out of that uncomfertable dress and wear some clothes of mine. Let's make it a movie night.. or, day. Just you, me, Star Wars and quite a lot of fast food," she laughed. Krystal sighed and rolled her eyes, trying to keep her face under control. A small smile broke through her facade anyway.  
"I'll only binge all those movies with you if you let me hear every song you have written. Don't even dare to skip one. I want to know how you felt — or feel — towards me," she replied. Amber placed her index finger on her lower lip, as if she was thinking. Then she smiled.  
"Of course. Everything for my Princess. Just, should I bring you a box of tissues already, or..?"  
"I'll be fine, you brat. I'm going to change my clothes and after that you're going to play."  
Amber laughed and winked. She signaled that Krystal should just go towards the bedroom and get out of her dress. She stack out her tongue. Krystal dissapeared into the bedroom, although she couldn't help to swing a bit extra with her hips when she was on her way. She changed out of her dress. Amber was right; it was a bit too formal for a movie night, wasn't it? She chose one of Amber's sweat pants and her black sweater with R2-D2, since they were going to binge all the movies she might as well get in the mood.  
When she returned, Amber had cleared up the sheets of music from the couch and had installed them all at the stand on the piano. She sat on the stool, leaning with her elbow on the keys. She watched her with a smile when she entered the living room. It had been long since she had had Amber's gaze so lovingly on her body, like she was the most beautiful thing in the world. Her cheeks turned red and she couldn't help to smile to herself. She sat down on the couch, installing herself in the corner of the long lounge back and pulling up her legs, hugging them against her body.  
"I'm ready," she announced. Amber seemed to weak up from her trance. She cleared her throat and blinked a couple of times before she was able to shoot her a smile. In the mean time, she sat up straight and stretched her arms. Amber shot her one glance, then started to play.

One hour later, they were finally done. Krystal wished she had agreed on the tissues. After the fourth song, she hadn't been able to keep it dry anymore. The first few were still lovey-dovey, probably written around the time they just started dating. But you could feel the songs getting sadder, and at a certain moment, there was nothing more than sad ballads. The songs seemed to mix together, telling one big story about how sad and lonely she was during those eight years when she was alone. Sometimes there was an accasional song that talked about the love for her family, but the slightly happy songs were always drowned by the numerous ammount of sad love ballads.  
Some she recognized. Amber sure had made a name in the music industry because she had collaborated with several famous artist. She created Last dance, by Big Bang, A lie by B1A4, Spring day by BTS, Stay by BLACKPINK, Eyes, nose, lips by Taeyang and Lived like a fool by Solar from MAMAMOO. She didn't doubt there were even more artists singing her songs, but they were with too many to name all.  
When the last song had ended, Krystal got up from the couch, tears still running over her cheeks like never ending waterfalls. The other woman stood up to face her. Before Amber could turn around or say something, she had already wrapped her arms around her from behind, and — not caring about how it might be uncomfertable for her — nuzzled her wet face in her neck. Amber placed her hands over Krystal's, let their fingers intertwine.  
"I told you you'd need those tissues.." she said softly.  
"Oh shut up, you," Krystal blurted out in a shaking voice. She heard Amber chuckle softly. Krystal bit her lip hard and squeezed her eyes shut. Amber let her stand there for a few seconds, but eventually turned around in her arms. She felt how her hands were placed on her cheeks, and they softly forced her to look in Amber's eyes. Krystal bit down upon her lip and sighed. Amber whiped the tears from her cheeks with her thumbs, but new ones simply replaced the others. Amber smiled at her and bowed down to softly kiss her lips. This time it was Krystal who wanted more than a soft peck on the lips. She wrapped her arms around Amber's neck and deepened the kiss immediately, wanting to taste every bit of Amber. It seemed to overwhelm her for a moment, but eventually she also felt Amber's arms curl around her waist, pulling her closer too. Their lips slid over each other like they were made to do so; like two puzzle pieces who only fitted together. They had to part because they were short on breath, but kept their faces close. Their noses still touched each other and Krystal's eyes were still closed. Her body felt warm and fuzzy and it wasn't because she wore comfertable clothes.  
"You know, if you don't want to watch Star Wars, you can always tell me," Amber chuckled. Krystal opened her eyes so that she could roll with them.  
"No, let's watch that dumb series of yours," she laughed. Krystal remembered that she and Amber had planned a movie night to see all of the movies, a few days after the dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Jung. She knew it were Amber's favourite movies — she was not counting the Pokémon series here — and she had agreed to watch it because she had never even seen any of the movies. She had always defended herself that she knew the Darth Vader theme song by heart but Amber had not let her off the hook.  
"Dumb? You clearly have never watched a good movie before if you call Star Wars dumb!" she exclaimed resentful. Krystal laughed and pecked her another time on the lips.  
"Show me how 'not dumb' it is then," she said. Amber chuckled and winked.  
"Don't worry, Carry Fischer will capture your heart like she had mine when I was little."

Eightteen hours. That's how long it would take to watch the entire Star Wars saga, plus the latest two movies, The Force Awakens and Rogue one, took eightteen hours to watch.  
Krystal was prepared to do a lot, but to watch eightteen hours in a row was a bit too much, even for her. After the first three movies — Amber had insisted that they'd watch the movies in a chronological order, so she'd get the story better when they started on the original saga — her brain was so melted with all sorts of space-related stuff that she had to stop watching otherwise she was sure her brain would melt. To prevent Amber that she started the next movie, she simply tackled the other girl on the couch. With her hands up to protect herself, Amber fell on her back, with Krystal on top. With a big grin on her face, she leaned foreward, until their faces were only inches apart. Amber laughed softly and tried to wriggle out from under her, but she had her firmly pinned to the couch with her legs.  
"Something is telling me that you weren't that impressed by Anakin's transformation into Darth Vader as I was."  
Krystal smiled apologetically before placing a soft peck on her cheek.  
"Don't get me wrong, Anakin was good-looking but I'd rather look at you."  
"I'm glad to hear I'm more attractive than the most famous super villain," chuckled Amber. She pecked her back on the lips.  
Krystal bit her lip softly and started to laugh.  
"Well, you know, it's not that diffecult to be more attractive if you take in consideration that half of Anakin's body got burned off," she said, which resulted into a high pitched 'yah!' from Amber. Krystal smiled devilishly and wiggled with her eyebrows. Amber grabbed her face firmly with both hands and squished her cheeks.  
"You just don't dare to admit that I'm highly attractive and that you like me a lot," Amber chuckled. Krystal shook her face free from her grip and rose one of her eyebrows questioningly. A small chuckle left her mouth when she shook her head.  
"Nah, I don't like you."  
Amber frowned.  
"Yes, you do."  
"No, I do not."  
"Well, then explain why you were kissing me just a few moments ago-"  
Krystal rolled her eyes.  
"I don't like you, I love you. I still meant to say that, you know, eight years ago but I never got the chance. I now do."  
Amber's frown dissapeared from her face and for a few seconds, a look of disbelief entered her eyes. But when Krystal didn't burst out in laughter, she didn't laugh either, and just kept seriously stare back at her. Krystal bit down on her lip and averted her eyes, but Amber forced her back to look at her by turning her head with her hands. There was a hint of a smile on her face when Krystal looked up.  
"I love you too."  
Krystal snickered and pouted.  
"I know, you don't have to rub it in every time," she joked. Amber grinned. She placed her hand in her neck, carassing her cheek with her thumb. Krystal bowed down to kiss her and the other woman willingly kissed back. The teasing had gotten lost because of the deep words they had said to each other, and all Krystal could taste now was the love between them. It almost felt as if she was kissing her for the very first time again; her stomach turned; her heart started to beat so fast that it felt like she could suffer a heart attack at any moment; her mind was clouded, she was unable to think; Amber's parfume made her dizzy; there was an impossible bubble of need for Amber building in her body and even though they were already kissing, it was not enough. Amber's other hand moved to her hips and slid under her shirt, drawing circles on her hip with the tips of her fingers.  
Krystal found herself grabbing Amber's hand, pushing it more upwards over her back. Amber's hand found the closing of her bra and without even fumbling a little bit, clipped it open. The fact that Krystal already had trouble unclipping her bra sometimes with two hands and Amber only needed one, showed how skilled she was. Amber pulled back for a moment.  
"Are you okay with this?" she asked softly. When Krystal opened her eyes, she saw how concerned the other woman was looking up to her. A bit confused, she tilted her head.  
"Why wouldn't I be?"  
"Well, you know I like make up sex but we're just back together. Kai is still at home, you're supposed to be at Jung Internationals right now. Your father is sick. Are you sure you want to fuck now?"  
Krystal smiled and cupped her face in her hands. She placed a kiss on the tip of her nose.  
"Then don't fuck me, make love to me," she said.

Krystal had thought that the previous two times she had spent with Amber were magical, but it turns out that when Amber really wanted to make you feel special, she had no trouble doing so. She had never thought that eye-contact during sex was so incredibly turning on. It suddenly wasn't all about achieving an orgasm as much and as quickly as possible, but more to make it as long as the other person could bear.  
Being still a little sore of the day before, Krystal was only to handle so much. Yesterday, she again had not been able to tell Kai no. He had almost begged her to and it had been too much for her. So she had agreed and let him have his way, resulting in her body aching again. And whilst Kai thought her moaning was a result of her liking it, she had to keep herself from bursting into tears because it hurt so much. Perhaps him hurting her had also helped her make the decision: she didn't want to be with a person whom couldn't see through her facade and tell she was hurting.  
Amber, on the contrary was very very soft, as soon as she noticed that Krystal was easily hurt this time. She was gentle and sweet and she made her feel like she was able to touch the stars.

One and a half hour later, they laid next each other on the couch, Krystal nuzzled up to Amber. She used her arm as a pillow and her arms wrapped around her waist. Their legs were intertwined. They had decided to put back on their lingerie and sweaters, but that was all. Drowsiness started to overwhelm her. Amber was stroking her hair with her free hand. Krystal was aware that the other girl was studying her face, but she didn't care and just closed her eyes. Amber's parfume had wore off a bit, revealing her delicious own scent. She didn't need parfume to smell like summer.  
"I could just lay here forever, you know..." she muttered. Her voice was still hoarse. Amber pressed a kiss on her forehead.  
"Then just stay here forever."  
"Funny. Remember we still have to win over an entire company together?" Krystal chuckled. Amber laughed softly.  
"That can wait. Just tell them you're sick for another day and stay," Amber whined. Krystal opened her eyes and chuckled.  
"What, needy much? Ew," she laughed. Amber squinted her eyes togehter.  
"Me? Needy? Do I have to remind you that you were just moaning my name and almost hitting me because I was to slow? Should I do a demonstration-"  
Krystal pressed her hands upon her mouth to make her stop talking. Amber's eyes twinkled develishly.  
"Let's just say that we both like each other, okay?" Krystal laughed. She slowly took her hands away from Amber's mouth, but the other girl immediately squeezed her eyes shut and started to moan excessively. Krystal quickly placed her hands back to smother her voice. She felt her grin against her hands.  
"Stop that!" she exclaimed with red cheeks. It was one thing to moan during sex but it was incredibly embarassing when it was done at other occasions. Amber started to laugh instead and took Krystal's hands away herself.  
"Hmm, okay, let's say we both like each other," she laughed. "So, what do you wanna do now? If I can't tease you with fake moaning, what else am I supposed do now, hmm?"  
Krystal rolled her eyes and cuddled back up against her, nuzzling her face in her neck.  
"Sleep?"  
"It's only 4 PM," Amber replied.  
"So? Just nap with me, please," she muttered.  
"Never knew you were even able to say the word 'please'," Amber laughed. "Oh no, wait, I clearly remember you asking me to please speed up because you were almost-"  
"AMBER! Sleep!"   
Krystal closed her eyes and sighed. She felt Amber move a little bit to get in a comfertable position too. Two soft lips pressed a kiss on her cheek. Krystal fell asleep with a smile on her face.


	23. Chapter twenty-two

For the following days, Krystal's smile couldn't be whiped off of her face. Now that she had finally made up her mind and set up a new goal to achieve, she felt a lot less restless. In fact, she almost felt happy. Of course, they were gonna go through a rough time, since she and Amber had to convince her father to still give her the company, despite the fact that she didn't want to marry Kai. And on top of that, she also had to break up with the man she had been together for years. Both men were defenitely not going to like it.  
But Krystal has been opressed by men all of her life and she was done with the endless rules for women to maintain made up by boring, old, wealthy, white men in power. She wanted to live her life like she wanted to. As CEO with Amber by her side. That's what she wanted and that was what she was going to achieve.

When she had returned home, late that evening, Kai had waited for her. Krystal had hoped he would've gone to bed already, but it had been in vain. Even though it was almost one o'clock, Kai was still up.  
"I thought you were sick," he muttered, when Krystal closed the door. When she took off her coat and hung it up, she realized with a shock that she still wore Amber's R2-D2 sweater. Quickly she crossed her arms in front of her chest to hide the funny Star Wars character, hoping Kai wouldn't notice. He wasn't such a film junkie, so if she was lucky, he didn't even know R2-D2 was part of Star Wars. But would he recognize it as a sweater that wasn't hers? It didn't exactly fit in her wardrobe...  
"I was, but I felt better, so I went for a walk.." she mutterd. Kai raised one of his eyebrows.  
"A walk that lasts more than 5 hours? Kind of much, don't you think, after being sick for two days?" he asked. Krystal pressed her lips together and took her time to answer.  
"Well, I rested in between, you know... took a seat in the café nearby," she muttered. "I just needed some time alone."  
"Some time away from me?" he asked immediately, whilst turning his face towards the TV again. Krystal's eyes shot open.  
"N-no, of course not," she tried to say as casually as possible. She chuckled awkwardly.  
"I know you, Krystal Jung. If you don't want to be around anyone, you come home. The only reason why you would flight from our apartment is because of me."  
Krystal fell silent. Kai looked up at her and smiled weakly. She couldn't smile back, just stare.  
"And I think I know why," he said, as he stood up. Kai walked towards her and Krystal was suddenly aware how much taller he was than her. She had always thought of his height as attractive, but with only the TV to light the room, it made him look creepy. A chill ran down her spine.  
"Two days ago, you know, when we were... you, know, having sex. You really, really don't have to feel guilty that it didn't work. I had a great time, I always have a great time with you, no matter what," he said. Krystal opened her mouth to object — because he was thinking in such a wrong direction — but prevented herself from saying anything. Maybe it was better to just let him talk and live in a delusion than to break it to him now that he was probably the last person she wanted to have sex with.  
"You really don't have to feel guilty, Krystal. You're not broken and it's not weird. I have read about it online, you know, there are a lot of women who have diffeculty with.. you know, getting turned on."  
Krystal closed her mouth again and sighed.  
"I know I am not broken..." she said softly. She knew she wasn't and that she had no problem getting aroused either. Kai simply wasn't the right person. Krystal had always had that habit of only wanting sexual activity with a person she was in love with; she couldn't just jump on any man or woman just because she felt like having sex. And even though she trusted Kai, she couldn't get herself to think of him sexually. She had to be in love or it simply didn't work. And Amber made her feel everything she ever wanted to feel, whilst Kai was only just safe. He was home. His smell, his arms around her, his low voice. He was everything that made her feel safe.  
But Krystal didn't want to feel safe. She wanted those butterflies in her stomach and her heart pumping adrenaline through her body. She wanted her heart to make extra hours and her mind dazed, not being able to concentrate on anything when the other is so close. She felt like that around Amber, even though they hadn't seen each other for such a long time.  
Perhaps true love never dies.  
"-so never think any less of yourself. You please me enough not to want anyone else."  
Krystal jerked her head up, realizing that she had missed more than half of the speech Kai had been giving her. Supressing a sour expression, she nodded and showed a weak smile. Oh, if only you wanted someone else too...

In the following weeks, Krystal led a secretive life, switching from her role as CEO to the accommodating, quiet fiancée to the adventurous lover. Her days consisted of going to work, seeing Amber at lunch — either because she brought her home made sandwiches or took her out for lunch if Krystal's scedule wasn't packed, which if often was — and quickly after work, going home to Kai, get dinner and quickly get to bed. Sometimes she made an excuse that she had a late meeting, so that she could see Amber. Her father often had ones too and it wasn't uncommon for a new business partner to only be available at moments which were either early in the morning or after normal working hours. Jung Internationals was trying to scedule Song Software to join them, but it was hard since the CEO was a stately woman with a straight back, an emotionless beautiful face and deep, dark eyes that looked like every single emotion had been sucked out of them. Krystal had been trained in keeping her emotions under control but this Victoria took it to a whole new level. She was a hard nut to crack and she tried to get everything out of the deal. But Krystal wouldn't be herself if she wouldn't try the same. So the two women kept battling.  
Kai was aware of the trouble with recruiting Song Software, so he never asked a single thing when she returned around midnight, tired out. And she didn't even need to lie. All the meetings with Victoria Song happened in the afternoon, so whatever happened at the meeting, she told Kai after she returned from her "meeting".  
On weekends, Krystal was forced to spend more time with her fiancée. And sometimes that just consisted of them going out for dinner or meeting up with his parents. That wasn't so bad. During the dinners she almost forgot that she was supposed to dump him soon. She remembered why she had agreed upon dating him in the first place. Kai wasn't the worst person to be around, and he still was her best friend. They had a lot of fun together.  
But as soon as the laughter died out, her heart started to yearn for Amber again. More often than not, she told Kai that she would meet up for Jessica for a girls' day out — and Kai being the typical man that he is, wouldn't dare to join them — whilst in fact she went to Amber.  
Krystal was stuck in a string of lies that kept going on and on and she knew she would have to stop sooner rather than later because the concequences would be even uglier if she was caught lying instead of admitting it.

"So, who're shall I tell first? Dad or Kai?"  
Amber rose her eyebrows.  
"So you're gonna tell them?" she asked. Krystal pressed her body tighter to Amber's. The long lounge sofa had become their favorite spot to cuddle, especially on rainy, late Sunday afternoons. With the pillows from Amber's bed and a few blankets, they were nice and cozy at all times while they talked through things.  
"I think it's for the best. Better do it sooner rather than later, right?"   
Amber looked down to her and nodded, smiling approvingly.  
"Are you nervous?" she asked. Krystal let a long sigh escape from her lips.  
"Tell me something... Every time I try to make up a good conversation starter to break the ice, I panic and feel like throwing up," she muttered. Amber wrapped her arms around her body and pulled her closer, so Krystal could lay her head upon her shoulder.  
"You're overthinking again."  
"I am not."  
"Oh you definitely are. I never make up conversation starters in my head when I approach people. I just do it and don't think," Amber said proudly. The brunette rolled her eyes.  
"Yeah, okay, but maybe it's handy to have like a strategy here because my father isn't some kind of random person who is charmed by my looks. He is going to want valid arguments, but I literally have none."  
"You are in love," Amber said, with a short shrug.  
"Yeah, that's exactly the reason dad wouldn't want to hear. He always told me that emotions cloud judgement and that love makes one weaker when it comes to getting the job done. A CEO should be completely focused on their job, bla-bla-bla, all that crap. Being in love would just mean that I have to get over my feelings and do what's right for the company and the family."  
Amber thought for a moment.  
"Then wouldn't it be wise to first secure your position as CEO, so that you don't have to get permission from your father anymore and just take over Jung Internationals?"  
Krystal let out a sound that was best described as a mix of a snicker and a sigh.  
"I'm getting Jung Internationals, my official title as CEO, as a wedding gift. And well, I am not going to marry Kai. That's the whole problem. So, who do you think I should approach first? Dad or Kai?"  
Amber sighed and rubbed with her fingers in her eyes. Krystal understood the feeling, she herself was getting a headache too.  
"Shall we just toss a coin? I mean, it’s gonna suck either way."  
Krystal chuckled and nodded.  
“I suppose you’re right. It’s gonna suck”

She had chosen Kai. Eventually, they had both agreed to tell Kai first, since the wedding was coming up rather soon and she needed to blow it off before anything bad could happen. They already lost lots of money to the preparations, but Krystal couldn’t care less. Money was one of the things that mattered the least at the moment.  
Krystal had also chosen him first because she reckoned he would be the one who would take the news the best. Perhaps his mind would settle now too, since he finally had an answer to Krystal’s absentmindedness over last couple of weeks. Not to mention her overall unwillingness to be intimate with him.  
But telling Kai, her best friend for the past four years, was still tricky. He was bad in controlling his temper and Krystal knew for sure that there was going to be a fight. Nevertheless, she knew he’d never hurt her. He loved her too much for that. That didn’t take away her anxiousness though, she was still scared to death for his reaction. Krystal had never been able to take screaming people very well.

They let a week pass, so they could prepare.  
“Do I need to go with you inside?” Amber asked her, when she dropped her off at her apartment building. Krystal smiled, kissed her cheek and shook her head.  
“This is something I really need to do alone, but I appreciate the offer.”  
“Then shall I wait for you here outside? If something goes wrong then you can-“  
Krystal chuckled softly and shook her head again.  
“It’s going to be okay, I’m going to be fine. Go home, I’ll call you when he has settled down, okay?”  
Amber simply sighed dramatically and nodded. They kissed a final time before Krystal got out of Amber’s car and walked back home.

Once she stood in the elevator, she didn’t feel that calm anymore. Her belly was tickling of nervousness and it made her sick to her stomach. Knowing that she would break Kai’s heart in a matter of minutes was hard to wrap your head around. In a few moments she would lose her best friend…  
But her mind was clear; the decision made; she would do it, no matter what. Finally, it was time to make her own happiness a priority.  
Krystal was painfully aware of her body and all the small movements it made. As soon as the doors of the elevator opened, she walked towards her own front door, aware of her own weight pressuring the floor beneath her. Slowly, she took out her keys, sought the right one, turned the lock and entered her apartment.  
As expected, Kai was waiting for her. Previously, they had decided to grab dinner with the two of them again. Not something fancy, just take out. Since Krystal's busy life as a cheater, she hadn't been able to spend much time with Kai anymore. She was either at work or as much as she could without making it look suspicious with Amber. He had also noticed that and had proposed a simple get together, just some pizza and a movie. It was a bit strange because Kai normally didn't eat fatty food, nor did she, and he wasn't a movie-person. Yet she had told him she would clear some time off of her scedule, mainly because she wanted this Saturday evening to be the night she would tell him.

The pizza was still steaming hot. She had probably just missed the courier. Kai was already scrolling through their Netflix account that both of them barely used, looking for a movie he wouldn't end up watching either way. When she entered the apartment, he looked up, smiling brightly. Her fiancée got up from the couch and walked over to her to place a kiss on her cheek. With a weak smile she received it.  
"You already ordered?" she asked as she peeked over his shoulder to the two carton boxes on their coffee table. Kai shrugged.  
"I reckoned it'd arrive when you would, so we could eat immediately. I ordered your favorite, with paprikas and champignons."  
Krystal smiled at him and nodded.  
"Let me just change into something more comfertable," she said, as she signed towards the dress she was wearing. He laughed softly and nodded.  
"Don't make it too long, the pizza will grow cold."  
Krystal quickly hopped into their bedroom to take off her dress. Quickly she changed into her jogging pants and a loose t-shirt. It didn't happen often that Krystal Jung was found in her comfertable clothes. If she wasn't wearing her formal clothes, she still wore a blouse and tight jeans. Jogging pants were almost always out of question.

She returned towards the living room. The smell of pizza made her belly growl, but she told herself that she probably wouldn't be eating pizza tonight.  
Kai's eyebrows shot up in surprise when he saw her. Krystal's eyes shifted to the TV.   
"I thought we could maybe start a show together. I'm not much of a rom-com kind of person but I know you like these things so..." Kai said when he saw her look. The screen showed a show called 'You Me Her'. Krystal pressed her lips tightly upon each other.   
"Kai... I can't," she muttered. Kai looked up.  
"Do you not like this show? We can always watch something else or-"  
"No. It's not the movie. Or the pizza. Or you. I simply can't."  
Kai frowned confusedly.   
"You can't do what?"  
"Be with you," she forced out of her mouth. Her voice had turned hoarse now that she had to set more volume to it. The words felt like knives in her throat, scarring up her insides on their way out.  
Kai chuckled nervously.   
"Krystal, what do you mean?"  
She sighed and ran with her hand through her hair. With a heavy heart, she sat down next to him on the couch. She took his hands into hers.   
"I.. I need to tell you something... And I have been wanting to tell you this for quite a while. And I know you will be angry when you hear what I want to tell you."  
Kai took his hands back and stared at her in disbelief.  
"What is it, Krystal?" he demanded. She took a deep breath, pointed her eyes at the ground and bit down on her lip hard. Kai asked again but she barely heard it.   
"I have been having an affair."  
There was a silence. She didn't dare to look up to him, afraid for the expression on his face. Krystal fixated her gaze on a certain spot on the floor.   
"With who?" it eventually sounded. Kai seemed way too calm to be okay and it scared her for what was about to come. Krystal bit down on her lip.   
"Amber Liu."   
This time, the silence endured longer than the one before. Much longer. A minute, maybe two passed before he said anything.  
"The party..." he only muttered. "You have been... since the party?"  
Krystal formed fists with her hand when she nodded. Suddenly, Kai stood up from the couch and walked away. Krystal's head jerked up.  
She saw how Kai had walked towards the kitchen counter. He placed his hands upon the edge, his head hung low. She could see his muscles underneath his blouse tighten every time he breathed shakily. Krystal wanted to get up to reassure him, to help him, to comfort him, but before she could, Kai looked back to her.  
His gaze burned right through her façade to her soul. His eyes had darkened dangerously and when Krystal returned his look, she could feel all of his anger vibrating off of him. With his hair down, casting a shadow over his face, he looked more like a devil than ever. He formed fists with his hands. Krystal widened her eyes startled. Even though he didn’t say anything, she hadn’t seen him so angry ever before.  
“Tell me this is a lie, Krystal,” he hissed, his voice low and dangerous. Krystal was completely dumb-found.  
“I-I..” she stuttered. She had a hard job to control the growing bubble of panic in her belly. With every heartbeat it seemed to get worse.  
“TELL ME IT’S A LIE!” Kai bellowed. Tears started to leak out of her eyes.  
“I can’t..” she sniffled. Her fiancée stared at her with a strange expression, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes. Krystal looked away and pulled her legs up on the couch.  
“I love her, Kai.. I always have and I thought I had gotten over her but-“  
“You thought,” Kai spat towards her, as if the words tasted like poison on her tongue. Krystal cringed at his tone.  
“You thought you had fallen out of love. You thought it’d be a good idea to date me instead. You thought you wouldn’t fall in love again but you did,” he growled. “Is that what you thought, Krystal?”  
She nodded, tears streaming over her face. Yes.. yes she had indeed thought all of that. She had wanted it to be true, it’d be so much easier if her feelings for Kai were just true.. But they weren’t.  
Kai huffed. His fist connected with the fridge, making a hollow sound fill the room. He didn’t even flinch at the pain.  
“How could you do that to me? Don’t you know I’d do everything for you?” he screamed at her. “I love you!”  
Krystal sniffled and tried to wipe her tears away. New ones simply replaced the old ones.  
“I can’t control my own heart, Kai,” she tried, but Kai shook his head.  
“No, loving someone is not something you cannot influence. You could’ve just stopped seeing her! You could’ve cut her off and done what’s best for yourself, for us!”  
“But I can’t… I have done that all of my life, Kai,” she sobbed desperately. “I can’t do that anymore or I’d kill myself. I can’t live like that anymore. I need someone-“  
“YOU HAVE ME!”  
“But that’s not enough! I need Amber, Kai. I need her otherwise I won’t survive.”  
They were both breathing hard and fast, staring at each other in utter helplessness.  
“So now you’re telling me you want to be with her instead? That low-classed, rude, scruffy-looking, filthy lesb-“  
“Don’t call her that,” Krystal warned. She was surprised by the sureness in her voice. Even though her eyes were still wet and her body was still shaking, her mind was clear and she wouldn’t want Kai to ever speak of Amber like that.  
But he just laughed. He laughed at her.  
“And why the hell not? Is she not the fucking lesbian that stole my fiancée? She did something to you, right? Did she touch you? She fucking touched you, did she not? Nowadays everyone is a damned lesbian and now they stole you too. If I ever see her again-“  
“The only one who touched me against my will was you, Kai!” Krystal screamed back. This seemed to take him back a bit. He stared at her, with wide eyes. For a moment, a silence settled between them, that was only broken by Krystal’s panting.  
“Take that back,” he eventually demanded. “Take that back, Krystal. I always asked you, you always wanted to.”  
Krystal showed him a weak smile.  
“I never wanted to.”  
Kai’s face went blank.  
“And you do want to with her?” he asked. Krystal nodded and sighed. She wiped the tears off of her face and she ran with her hand through her hair. Krystal bit down hard on her lip.  
“I’m out.”  
Kai had already turned around when Krystal’s head shot up. He walked over to the door, grabbed his coat and his shoes, putting them on swiftly.  
“No, Kai, wait-“  
“There is no need, Krystal. I know when I’m not wanted,” he barked at her, before closing the front door with a bang behind him. Krystal flinched at the sound.  
With a sigh, she let herself fall back onto the couch and curled herself up in a small ball; she was still shaking. The smell of pizza had worn off and so had the hunger in her belly. Instead an empty feeling washed over her.

Almost an hour later, she remembered that she had promised to call Amber after the fight was over. By now, her tears had dried up and the hungry feeling had returned. She had eaten a few slices, after warming the pizza up again – it had grown cold in the meantime. She typed in Amber’s number, since she knew it by heart, and pressed the phone against her ear.  
The device rang a few times, before it got picked up.  
“Hey..” Amber muttered, at the other side of the line. Her voice was hoarse.  
“Hey, the fight’s over. Ah well, it ended a while ago, I just forgot to call,” she said. Amber made a ‘hmm’-sound.  
“How did it go?”  
“It sucked. Kai left and he won’t pick up his phone, though. I don’t know where he is.”  
“He probably… need to cool down a bit..” Amber replied.  
“I suppose so. Don’t all men need to? Either way, shall I come over? I’m really in need for a hug right now.”  
“Ehm, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”  
Krystal frowned.  
“What? Why not?”  
Amber let a nervous chuckle escape her mouth.  
“You know, I’m working and such. It’s better if you’re not there. I’d get embarrassed, you know-“ she quickly said.  
“No, I can just wait? Prepare us a meal? Watch a movie? I won’t bother you,” she said.  
Amber cleared her throat. Her voice turned normal again, but it still seemed like it hurt her to talk.  
“Really, Krystal, believe me, it’s better if-“  
“I’m coming over right now, bye!” Krystal said, before ending the call abruptly. She took her coat and shoes – didn’t even bother to change – and walked out of the apartment.

Krystal immediately raced off in her car. It took her only ten minutes to get from her apartment to Amber's, even though it was a 20 minute drive. When she had called her, Amber's voice had sounded so unsettling, as if she wanted to hide something.  
Krystal couldn't help herself to immediately think that there was something wrong. Perhaps she was back with Luna and that was why she didn't want her to come over. When people cheated, didn't they usually use the lie of having to work, whilst they in reality spent time with their lover? Krystal herself had done that too.  
It wouldn't even surprise her. Luna was the ultimate girlfriend. She was caring and bubbly, lovable and had a spicy edge. She dared to open her mouth and didn't have diffecult family to deal with. She was Amber's collegue so they spent a lot of time together, especially when Amber was working on new songs for Luna's album. She was pretty and well-known with a good sum of money to her name. Luna was the perfect girlfriend.

Krystal parked her car swiftly in front of Amber's apartment building. Her heart was racing in her chest. Even though she was burning to find out what was wrong with Amber, she was also very afraid. Maybe... maybe it indeed was Luna. Would she even want to know if it was Luna?  
She broke up with Kai, there was nothing to go back to now. If Amber was having an affair with Luna too, then she had sacrificed everything for nothing.  
The elevator ride seemed to last forever. Once the doors opened, Krystal almost ran outside. She just had enough dignity left to keep it on walking fastly. The door to Amber's apartment was closed, which was unusual. Whenever Amber was home, she let the front door open for her.  
Awkwardly, she rang the bell. Krystal wrapped her arms around her body while she was waiting. Her teeth caught her lower lip between them.  
Eventually, the door slowly opened.. Krystal looked up, for a moment unable to breathe. Krystal placed her hand in front of her mouth that had fallen open.   
"What happened to your face...?!" she breathed in horror. Amber groaned and let her into the apartment. She couldn't stop looking at her face, still with a horrid expression on her face.   
"Dear God..."  
Amber's face looked terrible. Her right eye had turned sickly purple. The whole skin around it was swollen, causing her right eye to be almost swollen shut. Her lip was bloody and the wound was still open. There was dried up blood underneath her nose.   
"I told you not to come..." Amber muttered, as she rubbed the back of her head. Krystal slowly let her hand fall.   
"Well obviously it was the right choice. Who the heck did this to you?" she demanded. Amber let herself fall on her couch and groaned of pain when she buried her face in the pillows. She murmured something which Krystal couldn't understand, but it sounded a lot like...  
"Kai?"  
"Yes... Your fiancée..." Amber muttered, as she looked up from the pillows. Krystal sat down next to her and helped her to sit up right. She growned; obviously her whole body hurted.   
"Did you know he took lessons in karate? Because I found out as soon as he started," Amber murmered bitterly. Krystal bit her lip.  
"I knew he took lessons as a kid but I didn't know he was this good... oh Amber, I'm so sorry... I didn't know he'd do somehing like that," Krystal said softly. It took a lot of power and skills to overpower Amber Josephine Liu. Krystal knew all about her past and she knew Amber had some skills in street fighting. Kai must've either taken by surprise or really, really hit her hard. Even though Amber knew how to fight, she was still a woman and women had less muscles than men. Especially because Kai almost daily worked out in the gym and took extra supplies to build muscle mass.  
Amber sighed.   
"It's not your fault."  
Krystal lifted her hand to lightly touch Amber's eye. At first, the other woman tried to turn away, but seemed to realize that Krystal wouldn't hurt her and let her touch the sore spot. Nevertheless, she gritted her teeth when Krystal let the tip of her finger trail over the sensitive skin.   
"It is... I should have never let him get out of the apartment," she muttered. Amber shook her head.   
"He needed something to distract him, someone to blame for what has happened. I suppose I could've seen this coming. Gotta admit I still don't like it that he messed up my face though," Amber sighed. "Could you perhaps get me some of that bruise paste I have in my bathroom. I used to have a blue eye ninety percent of the time in college so I kept the tube."  
"Y-yes of course!" Krystal immediately blurted out. She ran towards the bathroom and sought for the tube. It took her a few minutes but eventually she returned. She put some on her finger and started to apply it on Amber's face. She groaned softly, but the longer Krystal went on, the more her moans turned into sighs. The paste relieved some of the pain, it was probably numbing.   
"You should go after him, you know, talk things through... so my other eye won't turn out blue as well," Amber said. Krystal sighed and nodded.   
"It didn't turn out as smooth as I thought it would... he got very angry," she sighed. Tiredness suddenly washed over her and she finally felt how much energy the fight had drained from her. Amber's gaze softened and she pulled Krystal in a hug.  
"Can't I stay here for tonight? I don't want to go home.."  
Amber planted a kiss on her head and nodded.  
"You can stay as long as you like."  
Krystal sighed and nodded. She let her head rest against Amber's shoulder and let her be hugged.

Later that evening, when Krystal had already fallen asleep on the couch a couple of times, Amber carried her to bed. Woken up by the sudden change of room, she let Amber tuck her in. She couldn't help to watch her when she undressed. Amber – being under the impression that she was already asleep again – didn't notice her gaze wandering over her body when she took off her shirt. Seeing the fresh bruises on her ribcase as well, Krystal bit her lip hard. With every move she made, Amber seemed to groan of pain. She wondered how she ever could've carried her to the bedroom...  
Amber put on another shirt, but the bruises seemed to almost light up underneath the fabric now that Krystal had seen them and knew they were there.  
The fact that Amber hadn't showed them to her when she was treating her with the bruise paste made her realize that Amber was probably a bit ashamed that she hadn't been able to stop Kai when he had leaped at her. It saddened her that she tried to keep that hidden from her. That's why she turned around to face her as soon as Amber got in the bed. The other girl shuddered.  
"You startled me! I thought you were sleeping already," Amber exclaimed. Her face immediately turned guilty, knowing all too well that she had been caught. Krystal nudged closer to her and let her fingers trail towards the edge of her shirt, slowly lifting it up.  
"Can I see?" she asked softly. Amber sighed and nodded. Krystal prepped herself up on one elbow and lifted Amber's shirt with the other. When she exposed the bruises again, she couldn't help but sigh.  
"I didn't want to concern you.." Amber muttered. Krystal turned her eyes away from the bruises and into her eyes. She smiled weakly.  
"Could you please don't lie to me... after all that has happened, eight years ago, I can't-"  
"I'm sorry," Amber immediately said. Krystal nodded, her smile slowly faltering. The other girl took her closer, pressing a kiss on her lips. And suddenly, a great need of wanting to kiss her washed over her when their lips collided for a second. Amber had just pecked her lips, but Krystal came back wanting more. She kissed Amber softly and she immediately got the hint. Kissing her like that felt like kissing clouds; her lips so soft; her scent clouding her mind. Krystal was careful enough not to place her hands anywhere near her hips in case of hurting her, but kept them cupped around her cheek. Amber kissed her back lovingly. There was nothing sexual to the kiss because they knew that tonight would be very inconvenient. They didn't want to turn tonight about sex. They just wanted each other and each other's love. That's what they wanted and that's what they got. The kiss made Krystal feel like the world was right at her feet.  
And when they broke up and snuggled against each other, Krystal spooned Amber. Usually, she was the little spoon, mostly because she was tinier than Amber and she was the less progressive one. But now that Amber was hurting, she wanted to give her the same feeling Amber always gave her when they slept together: the feeling of secureness in the other's arms. So, as soft as she could, Krystal placed her arm around her body. With a sigh, she placed her head on the pillow. Her eyes fell shut immediately. But there was still a single thought left clouding her mind, keeping her from falling asleep immediately.  
"Amber... I love you," she muttered. She felt Amber stir for a moment. "I should've said that eight years ago and I was stupid that I waited too long. I want you to know now. If something happens in the days to follow, then you at least know."  
Amber let out a little chuckle.  
"I love you too, Krystal. Don't ever forget that."


	24. Chapter twenty-three

The next morning, Krystal woke up by the bright sunlight shining through the windows of the bedroom. Last night they had probably forgotten to close the curtains she reckoned; both of them had been too sleepy to even care.  
During her sleep, she had let Amber go. Clearly the spooning had been too hot for both of them under the covers. Krystal woke up with her back towards her girlfriend — or, could she already call Amber her girlfriend? — and her face to the wall. The first thing she did was turn around, so she could continue the spooning. A whole night passed, but that didn't mean the bruises weren't still there.  
Whilst she had thought she found Amber still sleeping — that girl could literally sleep everywhere, so she reckoned she wouldn't be bothered by the sunlight lightening the room either — she saw her instead scrolling through some messages. When she moved closer, peeking over Amber's shoulder, she noticed it wasn't the space grey iPhone of Amber's but her golden one. Krystal pressed a kiss on Amber's shoulder.  
"Didn't know we exchanged phones, hmm?" she chuckled. Amber looked up and handed it over, sighing.  
"I just.. your phone woke me up. It kept buzzing and I thought someone might call you so I picked it up and I got.. well, distracted."  
Krystal unlocked her phone and took a look at the messages. A frown immediately appeared on her face when she saw they were all from Kai and the harsh words that fell. Of course they had been directed to her and not meant for Amber's eyes to read, but she guessed Amber's mood wouldn't improve if you read all the mean words Kai had written.  
Last night he had gotten home to an empty apartment and had immediately guessed that Krystal was with Amber. He cussed her out for a slut; a cheating whore. Homosexuality was unnatural and so was Amber, therefor he would finish his job if she didn't come home soon.  
With a sigh she tossed her phone away in the sheets and wrapped her arms around Amber again. The other girl sighed and leaned into her touches.  
"I never meant to cause so much harm..." she muttered in a broken voice. When she looked up to her, she saw how teary her eyes were. Those deep eyes were now puddles of sadness. Krystal took Amber's face in her hands and pressed a long kiss on her lips.  
"I don't care what he thinks of us. I don't care anymore. I only care about us, you and me. We started this together, and now we're going to finish it, with pride. We won't let us be taken back by such inconvenience. Kai can kiss my ass," she said, after the kiss had ended.  
Amber chuckled softly at that — Krystal wasn't the person who would cuss freely, so to hear her say that Kai could kiss her ass was rather funny.  
"Krystal.." she said slowly. The brunette tilted her head questioningly.  
"Hmm?"  
"Nothing.. I just.. I really love you."   
Krystal smiled widely and pressed another kiss upon her lips.

The following morning, Krystsal decided to follow Amber's advice and go talk to Kai. She knew it was the best choice to talk to him and settle things down. So after their breakfast — which they had very couple-ishly made together — and their quick walk with Jack Jack, Krystal was getting ready. A quick shower and some fresh clothes from Amber made her feel like new again.  
She was a bit nervous for the confrontation. Kai had showed her that he could get really angry last time. And of course, he should be. It's not something light to deal with if your fiancée and parter for the last four years cheats on you so easily, without even thinking twice. Knowning that he was never enough for her must've hurt his pride a lot. But they needed to work this out. Krystal would prefer to have everything settled before she told her father about her relationship with Amber; she wanted the wedding to be cancelled and their apartment to be sold.  
Living together with Kai was out of option now. Not only was their friendship ruined, but it would be inconvenient to live together to. It'd be best if they sold their apartment and the furniture, devided the money and started over again. Krystal would with Amber and she was sure Kai would find a new girlfriend in no time. With his handsome looks, status and money he was able to get anyone. And she wanted him to have someone who could make him happy as well.  
But she first needed to speak with him and try to get him to understand the situation. It was one thing to be angry, but it was another to behave like an 8-year-old with anger issues. They needed to talk this through as adults.

Amber brought her home and when she asked if she should wait in the car, Krystal told her yes. She didn't want to stay longer than she needed to.  
"I don't know how long it's going to take," she warned her, but Amber simply shrugged.  
"I have unlimited wifi on my phone. I'll get through it," she said with a smile. Krystal chuckled and kissed her goodbye.  
With her head held high, she walked into the apartment building.  
She hadn't informed Kai that she would come home. In fact, she wanted to catch him by surprise. If a person was caught by surprise, their first responses would be to act true to their heart, without thinking. Plus, Krystal wanted to startle him a bit, so that she at least had a chance to speak. Yesterday, Kai had been the one yelling and she had been the one crying. She didn't want to reverse the roles, but she at least wanted to be able to explain something.  
Krystal went with the elevator up. It didn't take long before she opened the front door to their apartment with her key. She was curious about what she would find inside. The whole room trashed? Empty bottles of liquor everywhere? Other girls in her bed? She shuddered at the thoughts.  
But when she stepped inside, everything was clean. Even cleaner than the night before; the pizza boxes had been thrown with the trash. It was scarily quiet, which made her wonder if Kai was home after all. But as soon as the front door fell shut behind her, she heard some stumbling in the other room. Within a few seconds, she saw Kai appear around the corner.  
His gaze was at first hopeful but as soon as he saw her, a grim expression appeared on his face.  
"So you decided to come home after all.." he muttered. Krystal gritted her teeth together and nodded.  
"Kai, we need to talk. You know we do," she said seriously. There was a cold tone in her voice, one that she always used when she put on her CEO-facade. It idicated that she didn't accept him talking back to her; her voice was gruesome. He squinted his eyes together, but eventually nodded as well.  
They sat down on the couch. It was awkward; Krystal didn't dare to sit close to him whilst they always used to cuddle. At the uncomfertable position and tensed muscles, she could tell Kai didn't feel comfertable too. Despite that, she took a deep breath and decided to be the better person.   
"We need to talk about what is going to happen. The wedding, the apartment, the alliance between our companies..." she started. Kai sighed deeply.  
"The alliance stays. Our private lives cannot interfer with our jobs, we know better than that. And as for the wedding... it's off. I suppose you're glad about that?" he said bitterly. Krystal bit down on her lower lip.   
"Aren't you? Would you want to marry a woman who doesn't love you?" she asked.  
Kai stayed silent for a moment.   
"I know I have done you wrong. But can't you imagine how it's like for me? I was happy, Krystal, I thought we had a future together. That perhaps one day there might be little me's and you's running around our house. I had no clue you weren't happy..." he sighed. Half past, his voice broke down and a lumb formed in Krystal's throat.  
"I was happy. I really was. You're my best friend, Kai. And you were the first person who could make me genuinely laugh after a long, dark period," she said. Kai huffed sarcastically and shook his head, not believing her.   
"Do you love her?"  
"What?"  
"Do you love Amber? I need to know that what you're feeling right now isn't just a fling, and that you mean to her as much as she means to you. Not because I want you back, I suppose that's all off the table now, but out of genuine concern. If I'm going to let you go and get over you, I want to know if you're truly in good hands," he explained. Krystal couldn't help to blink a few times surprisedly.   
"I do love her, Kai. I do. And she loves me. We always have. When I said that we had history... I meant it. But we weren't just friends.."  
Krystal sighed and paused for a moment. Then the whole story came out: about how she used to hate Amber with every cell of her body but after that one night on the roof, she too had fallen for her charms. And at first she had been sceptical about it all. Falling in love, to her, was already something to be sceptical about, let alone with Amber Josephine Liu. But even back then, they had loved each other.  
She told every detail, every thought that had crossed her mind. She didn't even skip a scene on the night she broke up with Amber. Krystal told him about her darker years in which depression had taken over her mind, all the way up 'till the moment her father had introduced them together.  
Krystal felt obliged to tell him what happened at the party and after that; how they had kissed in the restrooms and the one night stand they had after he had left home. Kai grimaced at that part, but let her talk. He didn't interrupt her once. Krystal talked further. She told him how she eventually had called their secretive relationship off when her father promised her Jung Internationals as a wedding gift but how Amber eventually had convinced her to think about it twice. And for the first time she had really listened to her heart and had chosen for her because she truly thought that she wouldn't be able to survive another heartbreak.  
When she was done, Kai sighed deeply, and rubbed with his thumbs in his eyes. Suddenly she noticed how tired he actually looked. With messy hair and dark circles underneath his eyes, she reckoned he must've been up all night.   
"I suppose that I didn't even had a chance to begin with," Kai eventually said. "Logically you immediately budged when you saw her again.."  
"I know I should have never lied to you, Kai," Krystal sighed. "It was wrong. I also should've told you immediately about what had happened when we met. But I couldn't. I wanted to be happy again. And for a while, I really was. I forgot Amber. But I didn't feel what I felt when I was with her after we broke up eight years ago. And after a certain ammount of time you can't feel the difference anymore. But when she turned up at the party, it was a wake up call. The worst thing was that I didn't even feel guilty..."  
Krystal bit down hard upon her lip to keep the tears from falling. To her surprise, she felt a hand on her shoulder. When she looked up, she looked into Kai's eyes. They were still serious and had hardened over the past 24 hours, but they had a sense of compassion in them too.   
"I'd prefer for you to cheat on me and be happy than to marry me and be miserable for the rest of your life," he eventually said. Krystal smiled weakly.  
"I knew you'd understand..." she murmered, as she whiped off her nose with her hand.

It took another half an hour to settle on the rest. Kai had immediately agreed to start over again and sell the apartment. It was originally his, but he agreed to devide the money equally. They both didn't actually need it, so it would be a waste of time and energy if they spent hours figuring out what piece of furniture was whose.  
After that, Krystal packed her bags. They both preferred to stay away from each other for a while, and since Krystal was able to stay at Amber's place for a couple of days, Kai stayed at the apartment.  
With a bag full of clothes, hygene supplies and other handy stuff, Krystal returned to the car. Amber had moved to the back seat, had pulled her legs up and covered them with a blanket. She was watching Pokémon on her phone. Krystal had to tick against the window to catch her attention. Once the other woman saw her, a worries expression grew on her face.  
"How did it go?" she asked, as soon as Krystal had gotten in the car again. The brunette sighed and ran with her hand through her hair. When she let her eye fall on the digital clock of her phone, she realized she had been gone for more than two hours.  
"It was better than yesterday," she admitted. "He was still very sad about it all, but he was more understanding. I'm sorry I let you wait so long.."  
Amber stretched and climbed back into the front seat.  
"It doesn't matter, I'm glad you settled it all. I suppose the wedding is off?" she asked. Krystal nodded.  
"He told me he'd cancel the appointment with the priest as well as all the other appointments, but after we took care of the apartment. He agreed to keep it a secret a little longer until I was ready to face my father. Sadly, he knows what a dick he is... The only thing we have to take care of now is the apartment. I'll go over tomorrow to make pictures and such. We're going to sell everything."  
Amber frowned.  
"So where are you going to live now?" she asked seriously. Krystal bit down on her lip and looked down.  
"I thought I could stay over at your place for a while.." she muttered. "I know it's a bit inconvenient and such-"  
"That really won't work. I have to work and such and I won't be able to concentrate when you're there," Amber immediately objected. Krystal cleared her throat awkwardly and nodded, immediately accepting her defeat.  
"I suppose I could go to Jessica then..." she muttered.  
Amber's laughter made her look up. The other girl was holding her belly, trying to keep it all in, but failed drastically. Krystal frowned.  
"Of course you can stay over at my place, dummy. Gosh, Krystal, you're so easy to fool," Amber laughed. Krystal's frown dissapeared and got replaced by a look of disbelief.  
"Yah!" she exclaimed loudly, as she hit Amber hard on the arm. She tried to duck and avoid her hand, but the car was too small to avoid the hit. Amber cringed when she endured Krystal's slap and suddenly she realized that Amber was still hurt of the fight. Even though her eye wasn't swollen anymore because of the paste they had applied to it yesterday, it still looked sickly purple. Had Kai also hit her arm?  
But when Amber kept on giggling, she knew she hadn't hurt her much. Or at least, not enough to make her stop laughing.  
"Let's just go home," she said, as she rolled her eyes.

The following days were rather hectic. Krystal was constantly travelling between her old apartment and Amber's. It was bothersome, but at least she would be able to make sure everything was sold quickly and Amber had time to work on songs without her. Even though Krystal loved to listen to her composing, it was done best when you were alone. Also knowing that the song lyrics were probably about her, made it awkward for Amber to sing them out loud.  
Together with Kai they had contacted a real estate agent to sell their apartment. Besides that, they sold their furniture to second hand shops, for a lot less money than they're really worth. The fact that they were sold quickly was of more importance than that they were sold for the right price.  
It took them two weeks to sell off all the furniture. Another two weeks passed before the apartment was sold. Some rich dude with a need of another extra apartment bought it from them for a high price. The money was transferred to Kai's account and a few hours later half of it to hers.  
Kai had told her he would stay with his parents for a couple of days, until he had enough time to look for a new apartment. He wanted to live closer to work, which meant he'd probably move to the other side of the city. It was a sad sight to see. She would never see him again. At least, if they lived in sort of the same neighbourhood, they might still bump into each other. But perhaps it was for the best. To see each other during a meeting would be draining enough.

And even though the whole situation just sucked, living with Amber was one of the best things. It was weird to suddenly be around her the whole day. Sleeping in the same bed, making breakfast together, going out for lunch, trying to cook dinner but eventually ordering take out — because they both sucked at cooking — and cleaning together. They were like a married couple and it felt like one of the best things in the world.  
Krystal would've thought that because they saw each other so often, the magic would eventually fade off. But every morning when she woke up next to her soundly sleeping girlfriend she would still be amazed that she ever had been able to make such a beautiful person fall for her. It amazed her that Amber felt as strongly towards her as she felt towards her. It was simply astonishing.  
She didn't think she'd ever get enough of waking up next to her.

They both agreed Krystal needed a place of her own though. Not because Amber didn't want her to live with her — in fact, she had actually asked her to just move in already — but Krystal had wanted her own space. She wanted to keep her meetings with Amber special, and it'd be best if she had her own place as well. There were two suitcases and several boxes with Krystal's stuff packed in Amber's bedroom and it simply looked messy. Plus, Krystal had always loved to decorate; she was thrilled to decorate her new place.  
Shopping for a new apartment together with Amber almost felt like a dream. Together, they went by different real estate agencies so they were showed all the nice little spots. They a saw at least a dozen apartments before Krystal's eye fell on a place that she genuinely liked. But not before Amber had embarassed her as well a dozen times to the real estate agents. Whenever they showed up at an appointment with their arms interlocked, or their fingers intertwined, the estate agent would lift their eyebrows and curiously ask if they were shopping for an apartment to move in together.  
"You know, I asked her a few times but I suppose she doesn't love me enough," Amber would answer, causing her to get poked hard in her belly by Krystal.  
"I told you-"  
"I already understand," the estate agent would laugh. "It's still young love. I know all about it."  
The estate agent would turn around and go further with their tour through the apartment, but Krystal would shoot Amber a foul look nevertheless. The other woman couldn't hide her chuckles nor could she meet Krystal's stern gaze. She guessed she should be content with Amber's behaviour nevertheless: at least she hadn't told any of the estate agents that they were looking for an apartment in which they could have children together or something.  
Amber hadn't adressed the children topic yet, luckily. She doubted any of them wanted to even have children. Heck, they weren't even married yet, or had a relationship for longer than a month, it was such a weird thing to think about right now. Still, it would've been totally something Amber would say as a joke.

The apartment she had chosen was one that had wall-like windows just like her office in Jung Internationals did. The floor was made of a light wood and the walls were completely white, causing the room to look bright up nicely. The furniture that was put there to show off how it could be decorated was nice and light too, with dark mahogany wooden details that fitted the colour of the kitchen.  
There was one master bedroom with a walk-in closet and one smaller one. The bathroom was gigantic and the tub alone would fit three people. There even was a spare room that she could decorate as work space. Overall, the apartment was way too big for her, but it was close to Jung Internationals — which had been one of her demands — and in her budget. It took her not longer than a day to call back to the real estate agency and buy the house.  
The next weeks were spent shopping for furniture, also together with Amber. They scoured every furniture shop in the neighbourhood for stuff. It was amazing to not having to consult with her partner and just pick the sofa or the lamp she liked best. Amber helped her with choosing the best colour schemes, which eventually turned out to be white, light gray, darker gray, dark brown and navy blue.  
It took two weeks before the furniture was delivered to her new place. Together they spent days putting the stuff together, building the tables and closets they had bought at IKEA's. It took another week before the place was decorated. After that, Krystal bought some fine pieces of art to decorate the walls. The whole process of moving out of her old place and into her new one took about one and a half months, but after that, Krystal felt like the happiest woman on earth.

"You must be glad that I'm gone," Krystal snickered, as she was placing all of her clothes from her suitcase in her new closet. Amber laid on her new bed, with her hands underneath her head and her gaze centered upon Krystal. She had chosen a low to the ground model which fitted three people at least.  
"Duh. Now I don't have to share my bed anymore. Do you know how uncomfertable that was?" she laughed. Krystal stack out her tongue.  
"You love to cuddle, don't lie to me."  
"Yeah with myself, not with you. You smell," Amber chuckled.  
"To flowers, yes."  
Krystal rolled her eyes and went on unpacking. The best thing about it all was that she now finally could place her own stuff into her walk-in closet and in her bathroom. The closets were a little empty now that Kai's clothes weren't there anymore, but she occasionally found some of Amber's in between hers and that made her smile again.  
"You know, I was wondering..." she mumbled. "With how many women have you been in those eight years in which we were apart?"   
Amber looked up from the bed with a frown.  
"No one?" she said confusedly.  
"Come on, you cannot have not had sex with anyone in eight years, that's crazy."  
Amber chuckled softly.  
"Oh, like that. Well, I never had a relationship in that time, but I did have a string of one night stands that I'm not proud of. I never talked to them more than twice though. Only Luna was able to make me come back once in a while, but even she couldn't make me stay long enough to make me fall in love. I slept around like I did in college, only this time I didn't know their names nor intended to discover them. They don't mean anything to me."  
Krystal came walking out of the closet with her hands placed on her hips. She gave Amber a long, doubting look.  
"So you don't have their numbers anymore?" she asked. Amber chuckled.  
"Why, would you be jealous if I had?" she replied cheekily. Krystal rolled her eyes and turned around, to walk back.  
"No," she said, before she went on unpacking her stuff. Amber rose her eyebrows and started to chuckle lowly. Krystal heard the bed creak. When she heard Amber's naked feet on the floor, walking towards her, she wanted to turn around, but she was too slow. Amber pushed her against the wall, her face immediately close, giving Krystal no time to prepare or whatsoever.  
"No?" she asked sweetly.  
"Do you have to make me say it?" she muttered annoyedly. Amber grinned and nodded. "Okay fine, I'd be jealous. I would feel insecure if you had all those girls one call away."  
Amber laughed and bowed back down.  
"I always deleted their numbers. I only still have Luna," she said, shrugging. Krystal let out a relieved sigh. She hit Amber one time hard on her shoulder.  
"Yah, you made me think that you still had all of those numbers!" she hissed. Amber laughed and pulled her closer. Krystal tried to push her away, but that was in vain with Amber Liu; she was too strong. Also, she didn't actually mind. Amber kissed her passionately and Krystal just kissed her back. When they both broke apart, Amber was grinning.  
"Hmm, what do you say if I said we should hold an inauguration for your bed? Or would you prefer the wall?"  
Krystal started to laugh and hit her again.  
"What if I don't want to at all?" she asked playfully. Amber shook her head.  
"You do. Your eyes just scream 'Amber I want you!"!" she laughed. Krystal chuckled too and kissed her again.  
"The bed, dummy, you know I get cold when we aren't under blankets," she said. Amber nodded knowingly. Without a warning, she lifted Krystal up. With a mix of a yelp and a laugh leaving her mouth, she wrapped her arms around Amber's neck.  
"The bed is it!" Amber said, as she walked back towards the bed. They both fell into the soft pillows, laughing.

Afterwards, they cuddled up together. It was only four in the afternoon, so they weren't tired yet, although Krystal had to admit that laying so warmly in her new bed with Amber sure made her eyes fall shut.  
"When are you going to tell your father?"   
Krystal woke up from her daze. She blinked sleepily when she looked up to her girlfriend, who looked back at her with a worried expression on her face.  
"About us?"  
"About everything."  
"I don't know," she admitted.  
Krystal fell silent and Amber pulled her closer, so she could lay her head upon her arm.  
"I'm not trying to pressure you, Krystal," Amber sighed. "It's just that you said that you'd approach him after everything was settled. You broke up with Kai, sold the apartment and bought a new one. Wouldn't now be the perfect time?"  
Krystal sighed too and nodded.  
"I suppose so," she said softly. Amber turned her head so she could face her girlfriend.  
"I know you're scared. I am too. But remember what you told me when we began dating? That nothing is going to break up apart anymore. You cannot let the fear for your father do that," she said. Krystal showed her a weak smile.  
"Of course not," she replied. "I'm just afraid he'll never want to see me again. Even though I hate him for everything he has done to me, he's still my father. And I wouldn't want to just cut him off entirely. I want to rebuild our bond..."  
Amber nodded and pressed a small kiss on her forehead.  
"Can't you tell your mother first, then? Or Jessica?" she suggested. Krystal shook her head.  
"I already told Jess. She said she wanted to come over once when everything was settled. I didn't believe she was quite content that we were back together but she at least was a lot more supportive than Kai. And she liked you the first time, she'll like you again.  
As for my mother, she'll never leave my father's side now that he's ill. I can't get to her alone. And even if I did, she would tell dad immediately. I'll just have to confront them together, alone.."  
"You don't have to confront them alone. I can stay with you. I know you'd prefer to do it alone, but this'll be worse than Kai, Krystal."  
Krystal looked up and Amber met her gaze.  
"Would you do that for me?" she asked, with a voice soft even she had trouble hearing it. But Amber smiled and nodded.  
"I'd do anything for you."

And so, a few days later, they drove towards the Jung mansion. They were both silent. The only sound interrupting the silence was the roaring of the engine.  
Krystal was sick to her stomach because of the nerves and she knew Amber felt the same. By her tense shoulders, the frown on her face and the fact that she gripped the wheel so tightly that her knuckles had turned white — it almost seemed like her bones were going to rip through the skin — Krystal noticed she shared everything she felt. They had both grown pale.  
Not even their favourite song could make them sing along.

Eventually, they turned into the driveway of the Jungs. The gravel crackled underneath the tires of the car.  
"Ready?" Amber asked, as soon as she had parked the car in front of the enormous building. Krystal took a shaky breath.  
"Not at all."  
"Me neither."  
"Let's just get it over with," she forced out of her mouth. Amber nodded.  
They got out of the car and immediately walked over to each other to intertwine their fingers. Together, they walked towards the front door and rang the bell. It was almost four o'clock so she expected both of her parents were home. They were devoted Christians and therefor didn't work or worked as little as possible on a Sunday.  
Krystal took the house key out of her pocket and opened the door. They were welcomed by an empty hall and the smell of chicken from the kitchen, a familiar scent in the Jung mansion. Were the cooks already busy with preparing dinner?  
"You know, your parents have style," Amber said. Krystal turned her head confusedly towards her girlfriend, only to see her gaze amazed at the interior. Of course, Amber had never been here before.  
"Focus, Amber," Krystal muttered, causing the other to laugh softly. She shushed her immediately.  
"They might hear you!" she hissed.  
Amber immediately placed a mouth to snore her laughter. Even at times like these she was able to laugh and Krystal had such a hard time understanding how she could even do that. If she tried to laugh now she'd probably end up barfing.  
She took a deep breath.  
"Mom? Dad? Where are you guys?" she called into the empty abiss of the house. There was a silence, for a couple of moments, until she heard stumbling coming from upstairs.  
"Bedroom, dear!" her mother's voice sounded. "Who have you brought with you? Jessica?"  
Krystal sighed.  
"You'll see, mom," she called back.  
Amber shot her a look and Krystal looked back at her. The pressuring weight of the conversation that lay ahead was almost killing. Everytime it was harder to breathe normally. But Amber pinched her hand softly, sending a signal up to her brain that she needed to keep going. And with her by her side, she was able to smile and walk up those stairs towards her parents' bedroom.  
Before they entered, they shared one look, each wishing each other courage.  
"We're coming in, mom."


	25. Chapter twenty-four

Krystal closed her eyes. Concentrating on her breathing, she focussed herself on achieving the goal she had set for herself: a happy life with Amber and Jung Internationals. Her father wasn't going to hand over the company easily but she was not going home with anything less.  
She closed her hand around the door knob. The cold iron numbed her hand but she kept squeezing. Next to her, she heard Amber breathe hard. Or perhaps it just seemed hard because all of her senses were so much stronger now.  
She took another deep breath, then turned the door knob and opened the door. Krystal opened her eyes.

The first thing she saw was her father laying in bed. The colour had returned to his cheeks, but now he laid there in his pyjamas with her mother sitting on a chair next to the bed, she noticed how old he actually looked. The enormous ammount of wrinkles and the dark circles under his eyes made him look fragile. The once so ever grand CEO of Jung Internationals had aged and become incompetent to rule.  
Her parents looked up, at first with a smile on their faces when they saw Krystal come in. But the two women still held hands and Amber followed her in. The presence of Amber whiped the smiles off of her parents' faces immediately. Her mother stared at them in disbelief whilst her father preferred to stare angrily in Amber's direction.  
"Mom.. dad.. there is something I need to tell you," Krystal forced out of her mouth. Her voice was as frail as she felt now.  
There was a silence, in which the four people in the room could only look at each other whilst they were studying their own feelings.  
"I hope you have a good reason for bringing Jacob's daughter here, Krystal. Your father doesn't receive visitors if they're not close friends or family."  
Her mother was the first one who spoke. Krystal swallowed audibly. She felt Amber pinch in her hand, and that caused her to take a deep breath, collect her thoughts and blurt out:  
"I do, in fact," she said a bit more confident. "We are dating, again. Today you will receive a message that the wedding is off."  
Another silence, this one seemed to last longer. Minutes perhaps. Her father and mother looked at each other. They just plainly looked, they didn't move a muscle. It felt like they had known all along that this day would come.  
"Say something, Charles.." her mother urged eventually. Her father grimaced and grumbled something that Krystal couldn't quite catch, although it seemed a lot like a curse word.  
"Why would I? She knows damn well what this means. She's not dumb-"  
"Yes, but you're the one who made them broke up the first time and hooked her up to that Kai!" her mother hissed. "This is your responsiblity and you should handle it."  
Her father shot her mother an angry look, before he straightened his back — as far as he could in bed — and lifted his chin as his eyes found Krystal's. They eventually turned to Amber's.  
"Why is it that whenever something goes wrong, you're always present?" he said softly. Amber blinked with her eyes and sighed.  
"I don't know, sir, perhaps it's because you're blaming me for everything that goes wrong?" she replied. Krystal shot her a warning gaze; they had agreed that she would handle her father and Amber would just be here for moral support.  
"Well, can't I? You deceived my daughter — again. Tricked her into loving you, blowing off the marriage. Did you know she was finally getting the company? Her life long dream would have come true and you ruined it. How can you stand so proudly by her side, knowing you ruined her future?" Mr. Jung breathed. His voice had grown even softer, but more dangerous too. It felt like he could jump out of bed at any second to strangle her.  
Before Amber could say anything, Krystal did.  
"Amber never deceived me. If someone deceived anyone, then I have deceived myself. I tricked myself into loving Kai, knowing that if I would just push through the bad times, I would be rewarded. You can compare it to smiling to someone you don't like; you'll manage it the first time, and the second, but at the third time a bitter taste will have entered your mouth that cause the corners of your mouth to drop faster every following time.  
I thought I loved him because I lied to myself. And you are wrong, father. My future isn't ruined, because I will still be Jung Internationals' CEO. Nothing will have change, I will only have Amber by my side instead of Kai."  
Her father stared at her in the same disbelief her mother had looked at her when they had entered the room. With an open mouth, he gazed at her. It took him a few moments, but then he started to laugh. A low laugh that eventually developped into a heavy coughing. Her mother handed him a paper towel to whipe his mouth after he was done.  
"You think you'll get Jung Internationals after this kind of trick you pulled on me? Forget it. You can work there as long as you like as Vice President, but you'll never ever will become the CEO. Not while I'm still alive," he said, still smirking.  
And Krystal had known this would happen. She had known that her father would never ever hand over his title as CEO to her when she refused to marry Kai and dated Amber instead. He hated Amber so much that he declined the happiness of his own daughter. As if Amber had corrupted her, making her ruin the company as soon as she got in charge.  
When Krystal stayed silent, her father continued.  
"Don't you know how poisonous this will be if I let you be CEO? In your first week, the media will do a background check on you. Of course they'll won't find anything interesting but good grades but they will find Amber. They will find her and they will know better than to assume she's a boy. They will know she's Jacob's daughter and they will have dirt on you. You'll get exposed in front of everybody and who do you think the employees rather would want to follow? Their boss, whom they have worked with love for, for many years? Or a young woman who could easily be overthrown by other companies if they knew she was dating a woman. Even nowadays that's not good for your image. Don't be a martyr, Krystal, and choose what's best for you. Go back to Kai. Our conversation is over. We will talk after you have made the right choice."  
Her father smiled at her like he really meant it, as if he really wanted the best for his daughter. But Krystal knew he didn't; he wanted to save Jung Internationals. He acted out of fear. The media might discover her relationship with Amber. Other companies might want to publish the dirt they had on her. Jung Internationals might loose profit in the years to come when she became CEO and she was exposed.  
Her father did the exact same thing Krystal had done eight years ago. Back then, she had also acted out of fear. Suddenly, she understood more than ever why she had made that choice and why she chose differently now.  
Krystal had still been a teenager back then, hopeless for the approval of her father. But now, now she was a woman. She had achieved every goal she had set for herself and only needed to complete the final task: become a CEO. And she would do this with Amber at her side. She didn't need her father's approval anymore because she had gained enough experience and power to stand on her own feet. And that was exactly what she was going to do.  
To her father's surprise, Krystal smiled back.  
"I'm sorry, father, I won't go back to Kai," she said.  
"Then it's very simple, Krystal. You won't become a CEO," her father replied nonchalantly. But this didn't whipe the smile off of Krystal's face, which made him frown.  
"I will become the CEO of Jung Internationals. And I will keep dating Amber. But you are right. This is the last time we talk. Next time, I will take it to court if I have to. Who do you think they'll hand over the company to? An old, sick man who is prone to injury and has to take off so many sick days that the employees barely even know you anymore... or a young and talented woman who was raised by you yourself, knows all the tricks and tactics you have only learned on an old age and has proved to be succesful during your absence. I advice you, father, to accept me and Amber for who we are. Otherwise this whole situation might get ugly."  
Her voice had stayed low and soft the whole time. She didn't need to raise it to make her point, nor did she lay in any emotion. It was cold and icy; it was the same voice she used when she announced bad news that wouldn't suit her and needed changing. Her eyes had not left her father's, not even when her mother screeched her name, yelling at her to not talk to her father like that and to rescind her promise to take it to court.  
Her father stared at her with the same stone cold expression.  
"I will see you in court, then. Good luck, Krystal."  
"I don't need luck. I know I will succeed. And if I don't, I will do everything in my power to succeed anyway, with Amber by my side."  
And with those words, she turned away and left the room, dragging Amber with her.

"You can't be serious," Amber exclaimed, as soon as they were back on the road. Krystal looked at her with a huge smile.  
"I am, I really am. Gosh, that felt so good, to finally stand up against him! Did you see the look on his face when I said I would take the matter to court? Priceless!" she beamed. But Amber didn't smile back. In fact, she looked like she'd almost faint.  
"There's a very small chance that they'll hand over the company to you, right? He has his signature under everything."  
Krystal still chuckled and shook her head.  
"You don't understand. He already signed the transferring documents too! And I have a copy of that. So it won't matter if he deletes the document from his laptop or tears the paper apart: I still have it. And in the document it says I will become automatically CEO on the 3rd of June, which would've been my wedding. He cannot do anything," she laughed.  
Amber sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, taking a deep breath to calm herself.  
"Krystal, you told me that you wanted to rebuild your relationship with your father. No matter the result of this power match, you will lose his love, you do realize that, right?" she said eventually. This made Krystal look up curiously. Her wide grin slowly faded.  
"Do you think he'll hate me?"  
"I personally wouldn't like it if my young unexperienced daughter drags my ass to court, actually. And whether he or you will get the company, I still would be offended. Even more if the judge takes your side."  
Krystal bit down on her lower lip; her happy mood immediately fading. She had been so focussed on paying back the pain she had endured as a child because of her father, that she hadn't thought of the concequences... at least, not on longer terms. It hadn't at all occured to her that her father could hate her, nevertheless the outcome. She wanted to tell Amber that he would never do something like that, but she wasn't sure. In fact, he was the kind of man would indeed could shut his own child out. He had kept the CEO position from her when she started dating Amber again and would rather want his child to choose for the company than for her own happiness. Her father would have no trouble disowning her.  
And her mother was too weak to even bring in anything against him. She was just the house wife, replacable if had to. There was no way she could keep him from disowning her. She would be all by herself...  
"Amber, you'll stay with me, right?" Krystal asked softly, suddenly insecure.  
"What, do you mean in court?" her girlfriend replied, not taking her eyes off of the road.  
"No. Forever. If my family abandons me, I will have no one left."  
Amber frowned and the car slowed down unexpectedly with a short 'hmmpff' of the engine, causing Krystal to shoot foreward until her belt caught her. A bit confused she turned her head. There was a focussed expression on the other woman's face.  
Amber turned off the highway, onto the parking lot of a McDonald's. At first, Krystal wanted to ask if they were going to get some food or something. She was ready to protest because she didn't eat fatty foods anymore. But the determined expression hadn't left her eyes yet and Krystal knew her well enough to know that they weren't here to eat.  
The car stopped, but Amber let the engine on. She unbuckled her belt and twisted her body in Krystal's direction.  
And with no warning or whatsoever, she bowed down and pressed her lips fiercely upon hers. Overwhelmed by the suddenness, it took Krystal a few moments to close her eyes and place her hands in Amber's neck. She kissed back, but Amber's body weight pressed her against the car window, and that was the moment she slightly pushed her back, chuckling softly.  
"Slow down, tiger. What's up?" she asked, still snickering. Amber opened her eyes, still dead serious.  
"I can't believe you had to ask me if I would stay with you," she said, almost hurt. Krystal blinked a few times and tilted her head slightly.  
"Can't a girl doubt in a moment of weakness?" she asked. Amber shook her head.  
"No. Not you. Not after everything we've been through. I don't want you to ever doubt me again when it comes to loving you, Krystal," she huffed. Krystal smiled.  
"Forever it is, then?"  
"Forever it is."

"You must be crazy."  
Jessica stared at the both of them in utter disbelief.  
Her sister had urged to come over as soon as Krystal was free to take a look at her new apartment. To kill two birds with one stone; Krystal had also invited Amber over so her sister could get used to her new girlfriend. Or old girlfriend, whatever.  
As soon as she had opened the door, Jessica had flown her around the neck, hugging her tightly. The two sisters were entangled when Amber came from the kitchen, still wearing the apron with "Kiss the cook" in big red letters on the front Krystal had made her wear to avoid spilling on her new floor. Jessica had immediately let her go and scoffed:  
"So you left Kai for this?"   
Krystal had poked her hard in her side and Amber had stuck out her tongue.  
"If you have to know, I also made Kai wear that thing," Krystal hissed.  
"Oh so it's second-hand rubbish? Let's buy a new one that doesn't smell like expensive cologne," Amber had immediately commented, making the two girls laugh instantly.

After they had eaten the terrible food Amber had made — okay, she kind of had to admit that she missed the way Kai cooked, but she guessed this was an opportunity to learn a new skill because Amber sure as hell wasn't going to — they sat down on the couch. The Jung sisters each with a glass with white wine and Amber a little bit of liquor.  
"So you approve of us?" Krystal eventually asked, when the small talk was over. Jessica put her index finger against her lips and let her gaze go from her little sister to her girlfriend and back.  
"You know, I really liked Kai. You could've had a perfect life with him. But the heart cannot be changed, so I suppose that you wouldn't have gotten happy even if you tried. I'm glad you found Amber again, to make you happy. But rationally speaking.. Kai outshines her on every aspect."  
"Oh no, there's one thing I'm better at," Amber immediately butted in. She grinned mischievously and winked at Krystal very obviously. It caused her cheeks to grow red immediately and Jessica to burst out in laughter.  
"Hmm, okay, perhaps she has better humour than him. But really, I'm not the one you need to convince. I think dad will be a lot harder to make you accept this new.. development," Jessica said.  
Her little sister sighed and ran with her slender fingers through her hair. Jessica squinted her eyes at her deep sigh.  
"You already told him.. did you?" she asked cautiously. Krystal tried to turn away her gaze to avoid being caught looking guilty, but Jessica didn't need something like a gaze to tell her her sister was lying to her; she could just see that from the way her shoulders slumped down.  
"Oh God, what did they say?" Jessica asked immediately forcefully. Krystal and Amber exchanged a look and a sigh, before they eventually turned towards the other woman. Krystal told her the whole story, until the very details. Some words from her father had been grifted into her memory and came out easily. It didn't take longer than five minutes to tell what had happened, but during those five minutes Jessica had grown five shades paler.  
When Krystal was finished she turned her head away and it stayed silent for a long time.  
"You do realize that I cannot help you now, right?" Jessica eventually managed to get out, making her look back up again. "I cannot pick either yours or dad's side, not even if I wanted to. You'll have to sort this out yourself."  
"I know.." Krystal muttered. "Do you think I can win, though?"  
Krystal had grown more scared over the course of the hours that passed. Back then it had been an impulsion to dare her father to come and meet her at court, but she wasn't at all sure of her case.  
"If you really have those papers and they're valid, I think you can. With a little persuation you'll be able to get a firm share of Jung Internationals. But it's not unreasonable to choose for dad. He still has his name under everything and has more power than you. If he wants, he can fire you now."  
"But that wouldn't make a difference if Krystal has those documents," Amber butted in. Sometimes, she forgot that Amber knew a lot of the business world too, because she had grown up in it as well. Jacob Liu had perhaps not been as bad as her father had been during her childhood, but Amber had known all the nights alone in her elderly house because her father had to stay over at work. She knew the loneliness that came with having rich parents. And being the cheeky girl she was, it wouldn't surprise her that she had eavesdropped on her parents often, just to get some sight into the business world. Now she knew a fair share as well, despite never even having been interested to follow her father's footsteps.  
"Indeed, it wouldn't. But that doesn't mean he doesn't have power anymore. And he will probably have the company behind him," Jessica replied, causing Krystal and Amber to frown.  
"How's that possible? Krystal worked her way up to CEO. She was an intern, an personal assistant, she was the coffee lady who brought everyone their coffee until she proved what she was worth. How can the employees like Mr. Jung more than her?" Amber grumbled.  
"You're getting it wrong. Sure, the average desk lady might like Krystal more, but you forget that Jung Internationals only exists for 25 years. The people who were there, the first employees ever, were employeed by our father. He single-handedly turned Jung Internationals to what it is now. The board, all the important people in the company, are old white men who are father's friends. They will support him no matter what. It'd be a miracle if they were open-minded enough to choose for Krystal. And even if they secretly thought Krystal would do better than her father, they'd still choose for him because they fear loosing their well-paid jobs. And she needs to have the board behind her if she wants to make a difference. All those interns who love her can't change a thing."  
Amber huffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest.  
"She can just fire them all after she has won."  
Jessica shook her head.  
"There's one thing that father made sure of when he started Jung Internationals. The board consists of 5 people, excluding the CEO and the Vice-President. If they are very discontent with the way the CEO leads the company, they can decide together to put he or she off. That has to be, if every single one agrees that there has to get a new CEO. If Krystal eventually takes the company by force, she could loose it right at the second she sets a foot in the building. They had the right to do that. She won't be able to gather all of their hearts but she needs to at least have on friend who won't leave her side, otherwise she's done for. But then again, that will be very hard."  
Amber sighed excessively and ran roughly with her hand through her short hair, grunting softly. Even Krystal bit down on her lip. It indeed was going to become a rough battle, she realized. Her father would pull out every trick he had to get out of the documents she had and because of that, she might indeed loose her whole career.  
"Who're on the board?" Amber eventually asked.  
"Jasper Watson, Toby Young, Raphael Mitchell, Cooper Jackson and Parker Evans. The dispicable five," Krystal sighed bitterly. "There's no way we can convince them. They're dad's lap dogs. No way to beat them."  
Amber shook her head refusingly.  
"There must be someone who can help you."  
Krystal sighed and ran with her hand through her hair, hopelessly trying to find a solution. Watson and Young are family friends and the closests out of the whole board with her father. There was no way she could recruit them. Jackson was the youngest of all five — only thirty, a few years older than her — and she would've expected him to be the most open-minded, but he walked after her father like a lost puppy. His father had saved him from poverty by recognising his qualities which were excellently fit for the business life and for that he had always stayed so grateful to him that it was sickening to the stomach. That left Mitchell and Evans. She didn't know much about them, to be honest. Mitchell was the most quiet one during presentations and Evans had the biggest mouth. He liked to contradict her father when he was opposing new plans and pointed out flaws with a sharp eye. She'd like to have Evans in her team but she was afraid that she'd be overthrown. He was precious but therefor also very egocentric. He liked to climb up even farther. Nevertheless, Mitchell was too shy and toned down, plus the eldest of the five. His hair had grown white already and he honestly was the wisest out of all of them.  
But she didn't need an advisor but someone who could speak up for her.  
"I know what I'm going to do," Krystal murmured softly.

The following day, Krystal made sure she stayed at the office late.  
Even though she and her father had had a fight, she was still left in charge of the company. Even her father knew it was better to stay in bed the next few days and prepare himself for the exhausting fight that was going to come instead of already tiring himself with needless work. He let Krystal be in charge for a few more days, and she pretended that nothing had happened.  
She knew Parker Evans liked to work extra hours. He was the kind of person who liked to show off and brag about all the extra hours he made. Those who knew him better knew he did it for a promotion. But because there was no status he was able to get promoted to, it was in vain. Even if Krystal was to become the CEO, she would not choose him as her Vice-President. He was too eager to raise higher.  
Krystal was ready to leave; she had her bag already packed, but she waited for Evans to enter her office. She had told him she wanted to have a small talk with him. A man like Evans, who was craving to get a higher position, would never refuse a talk with the next CEO, and so he didn't.  
She was just filling two cups of coffee when he entered the office.  
"Good evening, Krystal," he greeted her.  
"Likewise, Mr. Evans," she replied. "Please, take a seat."  
Evans took off the jacket of his suit and hung it over the back of his chair. He let himself fall in the leather chair, across from Krystal's desk, immediately spreading his legs and making himself comfertable. Krystal lifted her chin as she had to keep herself from looking disgusted. Evans was sometimes too much of a man for her; at least Kai crossed his legs.  
Krystal shoved the second cup of coffee in his direction. Evans took it in his right hand, took a sip and licked his lips afterwards, still trailing the taste of the strong drink. As he put the cup back on the desk, he pulled his tie a little looser.  
"I'm curious why you asked me to meet you, Ms Jung. It doesn't happen often that I get called in by the Vice-President. I hope it's only to discuss positive things?"   
Evans rose his grey eyebrows. They had recently turned grey, Krystal had noticed. He wasn't really old but his dark hair had grown into salt and pepper hair. His temples had turned grey whilst the top remained still sort of darker. Despite the greyness in his hair, his face was barely wrinkled, causing him to still look young.  
"Of course it is," Krystal smiled sourly. "Although... I am asking you for a favour. It's a proposal that only counts once. It lasts only this conversation and I will have to know your answer at the end of our talk."  
Evans squinted his eyes. He reseated himself, bowing a little bit foreward to her, softening and lowering his voice as if only she was supposed to hear this, despite them being the only one in the office.  
"Ms Jung.. whenever someone introduces a proposition like this to me like you just did, makes me wonder if what you're asking from me is really positive. You make it seem like it's secretive."  
Krystal chuckled.  
"I am proposing this to do you because you were selected because of your sharp eye. I wouldn't have expected anything less. You are right, to be clear. It is secretive."  
Evans took another sip of his coffee.  
"You make me curious, Krystal. An ambitious man like myself is easily tempted by gamling and I have a feeling that this proposition is something that will catch my attention."  
In fact, Krystal didn't like it much to be called by her first name by this man. The more often he opened his mouth, the bigger grew her dislike for him. But she needed him, she knew. And he was the one most likely to grab the bait, if only... she had something to trap him with.  
"Let's keep it to formalities, Mr Evans," Krystal said gruffly, which caused Evans to chuckle.  
"If we are going to be allies, we can at least call each other by our first name, can't we? And haven't we worked together for years already? But sure, if you prefer to. Just tell me what you're planning to do and... if it's tempting enough, I might give in to your wishes."  
"Of course. I'm sure you're aware that the board is able to fire a CEO if the job is not done properly," she started. Evans immediately frowned.  
"You're planning to overthrow your father? That's very risky, Krystal," he immediately warned. She almost wanted to correct him on her name, but she just had enough self-control to keep herself from doing that.  
"Let me finish, please, Mr Evans. I am not planning on overthrowing my father, I will overthrow my father, no matter what. But how I am going to do that, will be between me and my father. I will not ask the board for any help at court. But when I am CEO, I would prefer to stay in that position and not be kicked out the moment I begin my first day as leader of Jung Internationals. I want you to be the one who pleads for my case when one of the other board members is planning to overthrow me. It needs all five board members to make a decision like that. I want you to stand and stay by my side when one of them might want my father back. I am not planning on letting my effort go to waste."  
Evans started to chuckle. He looked at her with a certain interest that was hard to see through; she didn't know whether he was really interested in her deal or if he was just laughing at her because her plan was hopeless. But it was of utter importance that he accepted her conditions, otherwise he might start talking.  
When he was done laughing, Evans sat up straighter in his chair.  
"I never expected us to resemble each other so much, Ms Jung," he smiled. "I knew you're a hard working woman, but to see that your ambition matches mine surprises me. I never expected you to pull out such a filthy trick."  
Krystal cleared her throat and let out a nervous breath she hadn't known she had been holding.  
"Whether it's filthy or not, it's justified. You understand why I need your help, Mr Evans," she said. Evans nodded.  
"I obviously do understand. And I have to say, that it sure is interesting what you're offering me here. Of course, if you fail, I will loose my job as well because I turned against your father. It's a great risk. So I'm asking you, what are you offering me?" he asked.  
Krystal pressed her lips firmly upon each other. With diffeculty, she kept her voice from becoming annoyed. She could've known that he would want something in return.  
"I understand it's a risk for you, but I will not fail. Nevertheless, I will garantee you a large sum of money if you help me out," she said.  
"Money? But my dear Krystal, I already have money! Why would I want any of that?" Evans replied. Krystal frowned for a moment, but fixed the troubled expression in her eyes almost immediately when she realized what he was after.  
"You will become my VP, if that it what you want," she eventually said. She didn't even try to hide the forced undertone in her voice. Evans didn't seem to hear it though and otherwise didn't care, because he started to grin broadly.  
"You understand me, Ms Jung. I think we will be good partners," he said, as he stack out his hand, so she could shake it. Krystal took it and shook, but pulled her hand back quickly.  
Even though he had agreed to help her, her mood hadn't improved. She had known that he would try to get as much out of this deal as possible, but it nevertheless annoyed her.  
Evans stood up from his chair and so did Krystal. He took his jacket agan and put it back on, fastening one of the two button.  
"Good evening, Ms Jung," he smiled. As he turned around, he seemed to remember something, and turned back towards her. "Oh, and I need a document with your signature about our deal. Wouldn't want you to pull back when it doesn't suit you anymore, do we?"   
With a final smile, he turned around and left the office, leaving Krystal alone with herself and her thoughts.


	26. Chapter twenty-five

In the following days, Krystal mentally prepared herself for the battle that was about to come. That basically meant, walking in circles in her apartment, muttering the text she was going to say, scrapping or adding a few lines and doing it all over again until she was so exhausted all she could do was bark at her girlfriend.  
Despite being the Vice-President, she had trouble giving presentations. Talking in openly in general was hard for her, let alone in front of all the employees. Once she'd stand up there, she would be sure she'd have the impression they'd all hate her.  
It annoyed Amber endlessly. She had never experienced trouble when she had to give a presentation, unlike Krystal, and didn't understand what was troubling her so much.   
"You just gotta say to yourself 'I don't give a shit' and just do it! Then it doesn't matter if you forget your lines or make a mistake, because of your posture they won't notice it anyway!" she had told her. And in every other situation, she would have followed her advice. But this was probably the most important presentation of her life; she needed to get those lines right! She had chosen them carefully, so that her audience would feel at least some sympathy towards her.  
And she would need that, if she was going to overthrow her father.

Krystal drew up a document for Mr Evans in the days after their conversation. It wasn't much of a legal document — conspiracies like these never were quite legal — but at least it was written down black and white. She had already put her signature on the document. Later that day Evans came by to set his signature too and claim his copy.  
"I look foreward to a pleasant cooperation, Ms Jung," he added, before he left her office again. With a sigh, Krystal had ran with her hand through her hair.

At the end of the week, Krystal held her meeting. It didn't happen often that the whole company and the press was invited; that only happened at very big occasions. But this was something big, and Krystal wanted everyone to know before she would begin her life as CEO of Jung Internationals. Better to get it right out in the open right away, right?  
Amber was with her back stage when she was preparing. Behind the curtains she could hear the ruffling of feet and chairs, the immense sound of a crowd talking, wondering why they were called towards the great meeting room once more. Last time it had been when her father appointed her as Vice-President, less than a year ago.  
Krystal was adjusting her ear piece as Amber patted her forehead with a tissue.  
"Yukkie, you're all sweaty," she commented. Krystal shot her a foul look.  
"Yes, thanks for accentuating that, Amber."  
The other woman chuckled.  
"You're going to do great. I'll be on the first row, if you don't know anymore, just look at me," she told her.   
"If you're going to make funny faces I swear I will step off that stage and kill you."  
Amber just chuckled and shrugged. She took Krystal's face in her hands and studied it elaborately before speaking.   
"Take a few deep breaths, drink some water and go up that stage and tell them what you want to tell them. I can assure you they will stand by your side, I promise."  
After that, she pressed a kiss on her lips. When they broke apart, she saw Amber's lips had gotten slightly redder of the stain that was left by her lipstick.   
"I love you, no matter what happens," she said. Krystal was surprised how strong her voice actually sounded and how sure she was. Because no matter what the concequences would be of her speech, she knew she and Amber would stay together.  
The other woman smiled, took her hand and pinched it reassuringly.   
"I love you too," she replied. "But I have to go. Your scedule says that your speech starts at exactly eleven o'clock so I'll have to claim my spot."  
They kissed good-bye and Amber left, leaving her with her thoughts and worries back stage.  
But her words had reassured her a little bit. That didn't take away the nerves but it did ease her mind.  
She had practised all night yesterday evening and she knew her lines by heart. Krystal closed her eyes to focus, concentrating on breathing slowly. Eventually, she was ticked upon her shoulder by the stage manager.  
"It's time, Ms Jung. The team is all ready," he told her. Krystal nodded and smiled weakly.  
"Thank you, Mr Andrews. Please, let them count down."  
The stage manager nodded and signaled towards the person who was controlling her ear piece. He would be the person who would help her if she forgot her lines — but she knew she would not — and counted down until the moment she was supposed to walk up on stage. When the rest of the crew heard the word 'go', they'd know to shine on Krystal with the spotlights and turn on her microphone.  
She heard the countdown in her ear piece and she stepped up on stage when she heard the 'go' and saw the signal. As soon as she set one foot on the stage, the crowd immediately grew silent. The spotlights were turned on and followed her to her stand. She turned towards the few hundred people watching her, placing her hands on the stand to support her body. For a moment, she adjusted her headset before speaking.  
"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,"  
As she said that, her eyes sought Amber in the crowd. It was hard to see anything but darkness when the lights shone in her face, but she managed to make up two thumbs up in the middle of the row. Two deep brown eyes watched her curiously, looking at her with a gaze of admiration. For a moment, their eyes met, and that gave her the courage to talk on.  
"You must have been surprised when you saw the invitation e-mail in your inbox a few days ago. Normally, big meetings like these only happen once every few years and this would be the second big meeting in this year already. The reason for this is because I have something important to tell you.  
As many of you might suspect, or hope, is that I am in a position to become the new CEO of Jung Internationals now CEO Jung's position is endangering his health. Being in such an important and stressful position will be too much for him any time soon. Whoever is going to be the next CEO won't be the concern to most of you. I am a candidate but there are others. As a possible candidate, I need to come clean to each and every one of you."  
Krystal took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she stared at Amber.  
"I have been advised not to chase after the position that could be mine because of who I am. Because I am a woman. Because I am.. in love with a woman, also. And for a long time, I was convinced that that was the best thing to do too; to just let it slide and be happy with the position I have now. And I am. I am not fighting to become the next CEO because I'm after the money, or the title. I do it because I am going to be true to myself for the first time in my life. I won't let anyone tell me off because of my gender or sexuality.  
Women, especially women who are not dating men, are discriminated against in this industry. Most of the audience is male and will probably not agree. For those who do not agree with me, I have a simple question: have you ever seen a woman in the position of CEO? Because I have not. And I am planning to break the glass ceiling for women and get that position. I'll be proud of my gender and of my girlfriend.  
As candidate I wanted to make you familiar with the possible next CEO. I want you to know and support someone who you at least know something of, someone who is true to herself.  
Nowadays my sexuality is moreover accepted but it happens daily in which people stare at me when I walk hand-in-hand. And that bothers me, but for every staring pair of eyes there's someone who comes up to me to tell me how brave I am. And that what's keep me going and makes me be proud of who I am. And if I am to become the CEO I want every one of you to be proud of me too.  
That's why I am asking for your support, no matter what will happen or who will become CEO.  
Thank you all for listening, and have a nice day."  
When Krystal was done, her face seemed to burn. Even though the thick layer of make-up would probably hide her red cheeks, she still felt like she was going to explode at any moment. Carefully she let out a shaky breath when the silence of the audience endured and endured. They just stared at her.  
Amber looked worriedly over her shoulder at the other employees and Krystal did the same. Did you clap at this sort of confessions? Did they agree with her or collectively decided that they were not going to support her.  
Krystal's nails digged into the stand in front of her and tears welled up. She was ready to run off of the stage when she saw someone stand up and she let her head fall in utter desperation. But then she heard a lonesome clapping sound and she jerked her head up. The person who had gotten up — an elderly woman that she recognized to take the morning shifts at the information desk every Monday through Wednesday — was clapping. Her face wasn't happy nor sad. She simply stared at Krystal with such an determination and power that she couldn't help to stare back at her, with her mouth slightly opened because she could not believe what was happening.  
There was a stir in the crowd, and suddenly a younger girl whom Krystal didn't know, stood up as well and started to clap along. She smiled at her.  
And soon, more women joined, with some of the men as well. Slowly but surely, the ammount of people who started clapping grew. Some even cheered or whistled. A lot of the men stayed down though, muttering and whispering with each other with frowns on their faces.  
But the ammount of people who stood up and clapped was bigger than the ammount of people who stayed seated. And she couldn't help to smile. Her eyes dartled off to Amber, who had gotten up and clapped too with an enormous proud grin on her face. Krystal smiled towards all of those women who supported her, thanked them another time and walked off the stage.  
When she stole one last glance of the crowd, she spotted her father stand in the back.


	27. Chapter twenty-six

Amber met her backstage and Krystal fell into her arms, locking them around Amber's waist so tightly the other woman made a strangled sound. But they were laughing and Krystal let the tears she had been holding all that time fall over her cheeks. Amber kissed her and she kissed back, not even caring that the staff was still around.   
"You were fantastic!" Amber praised, as soon as they had found enough will-power to let each other go. Krystal chuckled shyly. "No really, I couldn't even see that you were nervous. You came up and you spoke to them so clearly and with determination that it blew my socks off!"  
"You're wearing slippers, Amber," Krystal laughed.   
"As a matter of speaking, of course."  
Both women just laughed relieved. They were still entangled in a hug, when Krystal heard the stage manager mutter a formal greeting. Before they could let each other go, Krystal's father stepped towards them, clearing his throat. They let each other go immediately, a little clumsily.   
"Interesting speech you gave there, Krystal," he said. His voice was low and gruff. The frown on his face told her that he wasn't in a good mood. "Sadly, I don't know what you were trying to accomplish there."  
Krystal tilted her head slightly to the left.   
"I don't feel like explaining it much to you, father," she replied. "If you can't understand how difficult this was for me, then I don't owe you an explanation.”  
Her father chuckled lowly.   
"I do understand, in fact. But I would not dare to guess your intentions. Are you perhaps trying to win over my employees?" he asked her. Krystal snorted.   
"I already have. I started with that the moment I became an intern here. I worked all of these jobs. They all know me better than they will ever know you. After today I have a large amount of people scaling behind me."  
Her father frowned.   
"It won't matter if you have a few secretaries backing you up. They don't have a vote in what's going to happen to this company," he said nonchalantly.   
"The strength of the group is more powerful than the strength of the elite," she replied. Her father laughed disdainfully.   
"If you're planning to attack me in court with a handful of interns, then I have not raised you well," he said. Krystal simply shrugged. She didn't want to reveal her plan with Evans to him. In fact, she wanted to keep it a secret as long as she could. It wouldn't do her any good if she revealed it to him now, then he'd be able to do something about it.   
"We'll see, dad," she simply said. "Please, go home now. You still need to rest."  
Her father suddenly turned angry.   
"If you think that I can't beat you because I'm sick then you are gravely mistaken!" he hissed at her, pointing her index finger so close to her chest that she had to suppress the urge to slap his hand away.   
"No, father," she said respectfully. "That makes you only more dangerous. But if you won't leave, I will, because I have business to take care of."  
And with a final nod, she took Amber's hand and walked away from her father, off the backstage and back into the great hall. There were still small groups of people, probably discussing the contents of the speech she had given just a few moments ago. Some looked at her, but most went on softly talking, not even paying attention to her like she just hadn’t given the most important speech of her life. Even though there were quite a few pairs of eyes set upon them, Krystal didn't let go of Amber's hand. 

They were about to leave the hall when she heard a squeak behind her.   
"Ms. Jung! Wait, please!"   
She turned around, with a frown on her face. To her surprise, she saw a woman coming to run towards them, as fast as she could on her high heels. When she came closer, Krystal recognized her as the girl who had gotten up from her seat to clap after the older woman, the newbie whom she hadn't known the name of.   
"Yes?" she replied, a bit surprised.   
The woman was a bit out of breath and took a few seconds to regain herself.   
"I just.. I wanted to say that what you just did back there.. it was incredibly brave," she started. "I wish I'd be as brave as you to confess to something like that to so many people. I just wanted you to know you have my full support."  
Krystal couldn't help to smile. She and Amber exchanged a gaze for a second.   
"Thank you," she said. "I don't think we have met formally, yet? I'm Krystal Jung. This is my partner.. eh, girlfriend, Amber Liu."  
Krystal and Amber both shook the hands of the woman in front of them.   
"Nice to meet you!" she chimed. Her voice jingled like bells which was pleasant to hear. "My name is Stephanie Hwang, but you can call me Tiffany. I recently started working here as the Personal Assistant for Mr Mitchell."  
"Ah, yes, I remember he told me he got a new PA," Krystal said. She noticed they were around the same age, perhaps Tiffany had a few years on her, but that was barely visible. Tiffany smiled brightly to both of them. Her broad smile reminded her a little bit of the smile the Liu family all had, only Amber's eyes didn't smile too when she did. Suddenly, her face turned grave, causing both Amber and Krystal to frown alertly.  
"I just remembered I have something important to do for Mr. Mitchell. Excuse me, but I have an appointment to get to. It was nice meeting you, though, keep up the good work," she said. Tiffany showed them a last smile before she ran off.   
"She's a nice one," Amber commented, as they watched her disappear back into the crowd. Krystal nodded in agreement. And since there was no one to stop them anymore, they left for her office. Once there, Krystal grabbed her coat and purse.   
"This little victory deserves a good lunch. And it's all on me," she said, with a wink. Amber rolled her eyes.   
"Probably the first and only time it's on you," she said. Krystal playfully hit her arm.   
"It's not my fault you sneak of with the check every time," she commented, eye-rolling. "Come on, let's go!"

Not soon after her speech, Krystal called together all of Jung Internationals' associates. Liu Economics, Song Software, Lee Electronics and The Universe Group, a group which had a hotel in every important city in the United States. If every company would take their representatives with them, the meeting room would soon be filled up all the way, that's why she had only invited the CEO's and their direct Vice-Presidents. Victoria Song of Song Software came with a man that had at least ten years on her. Jackie Liu came with Jackson. Amy Lee walked in with a woman of her age – meaning quite young. And the CEO of The Universe Group, Eric Nam, came alone.   
Krystal had no one to back her up. It crossed her mind to ask Evans but she decided not to. He would only try to catch attention and try to fulfill [i]her[/i] job whilst he wasn't even her Vice-President yet. She wanted to approach the partners of Jung Internationals her way.   
The news had probably already gotten out and the other CEO's had agreed that they had already heard of it. When Krystal asked them for their opinion and their plan who they were honestly going to support, there was a silence.   
"I support you, Krystal, no matter what. I owe that to you, I owe that to Amber, I owe that to my parents. You should be the CEO," Jackie had told her after a few moments of silence.   
To her surprise, most of the other CEO's nodded. Only Victoria stayed silent, but she wouldn't have expected her otherwise. Krystal has a closer bond with Jackie, Amy and Eric than she had with Victoria. In fact, Amy and Eric joined Jung Internationals because Liu Economics did as well, but that didn’t mean they didn’t like Krystal enough to back her up. Victoria, on the other hand, was known for being suspicious about making deals.   
"Ms. Jung, I don't believe that what you're doing right now is.. smart," she eventually said, carefully choosing her words. The other people in the meeting room looked at her surprised, only Krystal had expected this.   
Victoria smiled weakly.   
"Like your father said, you will need the board to stand at your side if you want to become the following CEO. All you have now... is loose promises that you're going to make Jung Internationals' better by staying true to your heart – how sentimental – and a few secretaries to back you up."  
The group stayed silent. Uneasiness spread through the people surrounding her. Now that Victoria had spoken the words out loud - the words they had all been thinking – it almost seemed inevitable that her father was going to win. Only Krystal smiled.   
"That's why we're going to have a vote, Ms. Song," she replied. "And if we vote, those secretaries will count. After the judge has found me the most suitable for the job, they will need all five board members to overthrow me. That won't be possible, because I have a friend in the board."  
Victoria started to laugh.   
"I believe you're misunderstanding me. Yes, your situation is bad. That's exactly why Song Software is going to back you up."  
Krystal stared at her in disbelief. Victoria simply snickered.   
"What, you didn't think Song Software would help you out? Because we have only just started our cooperation does not mean I will stay silent in this battle. I was about to turn down your father's proposal when I heard you were going to follow him up. Understand me well, Krystal. I am 33 years old woman. Unlike you, I have not worked through every job at the company and I simply became CEO – whilst I would've preferred to become an actress – when my father died. In the first few years of my new status, my own advisors used their power against me. I was naïve and easily impressed. Whilst I thought I was the most powerful in the company, I certainly was not, until I opened my eyes. I fired all of them and surrounded myself with people who shared my visions. I wasn't going to be led by old white men anymore. I am a strong woman and I do not need anyone to tell me who I am.   
I saw a bit of myself in you that day, when you held your speech and promised to be a good CEO and how you'd stay true to your heart. You were vulnerable and really put yourself out there.   
As a female CEO, I'd love to see more around me. Luckily, I am sitting at this table with two other female CEO's and one female CEO-to-be. We will be four loners in a man-centered world. No offense, Eric, but it's true."  
Eric nodded and shrugged, agreeing. He had always been open-minded.  
"And I will fight for every woman who is planning on breaking through, who has enough ambition to handle a job like this. You need to have guts and a strong love for the company to pull it off. It's exhausting and sometimes you'd rather just quit. But it's worth it. And I see that ambition in you, Krystal.   
Song Software will declare openly their support for you, as I am sure all of us at this table will."

And so, it happened.   
A few days after Krystal's speech, Song Software declared their support for Krystal, as well as Liu Economics, Lee Electronics and The Universe Group. Krystal at first hadn't thought that their statement would matter much – after all, their associates had nothing to do with the politics inside Jung Internationals. But as soon as they had announced their statement, suddenly a lot of other companies started to get involved too. Smaller ones that Jung Internationals' had sometimes had contact with. And some they had never even spoken with, but were associates of one of their associates. It created a whole network of CEO's who supported Krystal in her activities to get to the top.   
But because of the upcoming network, the media started to get involved too. At first, they had only been there at the announcements – Krystal's speech, Song Software's statement – but soon journalists were clouding the exits of Jung Internationals' Headquarters, just to get a glimpse of Krystal Jung, the daughter of Charles Jung who was planning to become CEO by deposing her father.   
And interviews were inevitable, that's why Krystal eventually invited one of the reporters of NBC to ask her a couple of questions. She figured that she'd have to do an interview sooner or later and she guessed she'd better do it soon, so she could make win a few more supporters.   
The video that was made quickly hit a few million on YouTube. There clearly were more people invested or at least interested in who was going to be the new CEO. It flattered her a bit. She had gotten a lot of negative reactions but those didn't out-shadow the good ones and that gave Krystal the power to go on. 

That, and Amber. 

Her girlfriend was so supportive of her it was almost sickening to the stomach. Whenever she gave another press conference, Amber was there, in the midst of the supporters, always smiling encouragingly towards her. It helped a lot. Amber helped her with preparing her speeches and helped her pose for photos. Weirdly, she had a lot of experience with these things and it really helped.   
And during these hard and difficult times, in which Krystal often stayed late at the office, Amber was understanding as ever. Even though Krystal didn't have much time to visit her or go out for lunch with her, she didn't hold a grudge. These few weeks were hard on her too and Krystal understood that only too well. Even though she was working hard physically, it was hard on them both mentally to be without each other. And Krystal had time to drown herself in work so she'd be too busy to miss Amber, but she was just at home, waiting for her to drop by. Of course, she was able to write songs, but that only would make her think of Krystal more.   
Most of their contact consisted of chatting online but even that was relieving. It eased her mind whenever she was talking with Amber. It made her realize that she was all doing this because of her. If Amber hadn't come back, where would she be now? She'd never have stood up against her father; forever his lap dog. Now she was running her own campaign, with posters and flyers, and people were actually backing her up.   
Surprisingly, her father hadn't even taken action against her. He didn't come up with his own campaign; it was simply Krystal's face hanging around the halls of Jung Internationals. It was a little bit embarrassing, almost to a point where she wanted to take off all the posters. But she knew her father and she knew that he had insiders in this company too. He was just biding his time, waiting for the best time to hit.   
Perhaps he even thought it was childish to even participate before the trial started. 

Two weeks after her speech, Krystal received a letter that the hearing would occur in two days. They were all allowed to bring people who pleaded for their cases in front of the judge.   
Krystal was planning to bring Jackie and Victoria at least. She wasn't going to risk bringing in Evans just yet; she wanted to have him as back up. If her plan worked, she should win the trial and become CEO. But she'd only be able to maintain that position with Evans. 

"So, when will you be going?" Amber asked. She was sprawled over Krystal's bed, the sheets still unmade because neither of them had had found the time or the motivation to get up yet. It has been two hours since they woke up together.   
The nights Krystal could spend with her girlfriend were still as amazing as ever. Even simply cuddling was able to make her heart pound and the corners of her mouth pull up with happiness. Let alone the kisses.   
Amber laid with her head upon Krystal's arm, using her shoulder as pillow. It was a rare sight; usually it was the other way around, but definitely not uncomfortable. Amber always kept up such a rough, harsh facade in front of other people, but Krystal knew better. Amber was vulnerable whenever she was with her and they both knew it. She was glad to be the person with whom Amber could feel vulnerable without feeling embarrassed.   
"The case starts at 16:00, but I'll have to be there at 15:00. It's a one-hour drive and it takes another hour to get dressed and get my stuff. So, that means I have to get going in half an hour," she muttered. Krystal had already thought out her complete schedule — she didn't even need Eloisa for that — like she always did.   
"Okay, so do you want to get out and get breakfast or-"  
"Nah, I included getting breakfast in my 'get-ready' time. We literally only have to get up in half an hour," she chuckled. Amber looked up and rolled her eyes. She was the complete opposite of her girlfriend and literally planned nothing, therefor she didn't understand what an insurance it gave Krystal to have it all planned out. Amber preferred to make it up as she goes, completely spontaneous.   
"Sounds nice, I don't want to let you go yet.." she muttered.  
Even after two months of dating, those little confessions made her blush.   
"You don't have to, I booked you a seat," she replied, trying to keep her voice as steady as possible. But the big grin that started to grow on her face betrayed how excited she was to take Amber with her.   
The other woman rose one of her eyebrows.  
"And you didn't think it'd be a good idea to tell me? Now I have to go home and get a blouse,"she sighed. Krystal laughed, bowed down and kissed her on the lips. Amber kissed her back and eventually she felt the other woman smile against her lips too.   
When they broke apart again, Krystal smiled back.  
"That's why I got you some new clothes for today," she said. Amber frowned  
"Do you know my size?" she asked surprised, which made Krystal huff.  
"Puh-lease, you sleep over so much that half of the things in my closet are yours. And since you don't bother to wash them yourself, I do it. So yes, I know your size."  
Amber chuckled apologetically.   
"I'm curious what you got me, but I don't want to get up just yet," she muttered, as she buried her face in the crook of Krystal's neck. It tickled a bit and she laughed, as she placed her hand around her neck, caressing her head and playing with her hair by twirling it around a finger.

They waited half an hour, then got up to get dressed. Proudly, Krystal took the bag with Amber's new clothes out of its hiding spot and handed it to her. The other woman unpacked the packages and held the clothes against her body.   
"Did I now officially abandon my 'bad girl' image?" Amber laughed, as she held up the white blouse and neat pants, that would end just above her calves, Krystal got her. She laughed.  
"No, you'll always be one. But now you look a little less like 'I can make girls drool by just smiling at them' and more like 'I can make girls swoon with just my looks'. Nowadays the classy look is very popular. And we'll match when it comes to outfits."  
"I thought you liked my leather jacket?" Amber pouted, as she took a look at the final piece of clothing: a jacket that hugged her body tightly but was a bit looser around the arms. It looked a bit like a bomberjack only one that looked a hundred times more expensive. Amber shuddered at the at the thought how many money Krystal had spent for her. Even though they both had enough money, it still felt weird to take it so easily.   
Amber sighed and held up the jacket. It still looked like she could kick some ass, but it was less threatening.   
"I do. And I like your image. But you're mine now and you know how much I love it when you wear formal clothes. And they're all black so don't whine."   
In fact, she loved Amber's androgynous, alternative style, especially when she wore her leather jacket. And don't get her started on those loose tank tops... they displayed Amber's sleeve, biceps and collar bones so well it was almost too much to handle. But it simply was more convenient if she wore something that screamed 'I take this matter seriously!' instead of 'I'm here to turn all of your daughters gay'. Her father would pay close attention to both of them and she wanted Amber to look like she had more money than all of the CEO's combined.   
Amber rolled her eyes and let Krystal run her hand through her hair. The taller girl couldn't help to bite on her lip as she studied Amber's face.   
Amber had been attractive eight years ago but she had matured so well that it was almost painful to look at her.   
Amber still seemed to doubt a bit, until Krystal bowed down and whispered.  
"You can still be a bad girl in the sheets tonight..."  
Amber immediately bowed away and started to grin.  
"Okay, I'll wear the jacket!" she immediately called out, causing both of them to laugh. 

They both started to get dressed after that. Krystal purposely went to take a shower first, whilst Amber was putting on her clothes; she knew one hundred percent sure that if she had stayed in the room when she was changing, that she'd just would keep staring.   
She dried her hair afterwards, straightened it as well and put it in a ponytail. Loose hair would be too casual for something like this and she had never been a fan of a bun.   
Krystal went back into the bedroom, in just her underwear, to get dressed when she saw Amber on her way towards the kitchen. She couldn't help to chuckle to herself when she noticed how well the new pants shaped her buttocks and legs. At those moments, Krystal sometimes wondered if her puberty hadn't only started now, because she felt like an irresponsible, hormonal sixteen-year-old every time Amber walked by.  
But Krystal wouldn't be herself if she wasn't able to control those emotions as well — the skill to control her emotions had been one of the few things Krystal had actually liked when her father taught her; it came in handy in a lot of situations — and she got dressed.   
Krystal matched Amber's clothing in color: her pencil skirt was black, so were her heels and her jacket. The darkness was in contrast with her pale skin, making her look even paler which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Amber's tanned skin however looked even darker. Right now, she was the definition of 'Tall, Dark and Handsome'.   
Like Amber, the blouse she wore was white, and both of them had tugged it into their pants or skirt. With a few silver accessories here and a little make up there, Krystal was all set. 

She walked into the kitchen, only finding Amber behind her cooking island, cutting up some vegetables. She had stropped up the sleeves of her blouse, so they wouldn't get dirty. There were already two eggs boiling in a little pan and some toast in the toaster.   
"We don't have much time for breakfast," she muttered, as she took a look at the watch she had put on a few seconds ago. "And you still have to do your hair."  
Amber didn't look up and just went on.  
"I'll do that in the car. I just wanted your belly to be full before the sitting," she said, as she flicked the vegetables into a frying pan. They immediately started to sizzle when they made contact with the already hot oil.   
She spun around when the toaster beeped and took out the hot pieces of bread, putting them on a plate as she added two other slices to the toaster.   
"Just sit and relax for a moment, it'll be done in five minutes," Amber said, whilst still paying more attention to the veggies than to her. Krystal chuckled and rolled her eyes.  
"It better be five minutes, you know I'm a slow eater."  
Amber just chuckled and Krystal sat down at the kitchen table.

It took her indeed only five minutes; the eggs only took a few moments to cool down, the second round of toast was done in a second and Amber knew Krystal liked her vegetables to be stir-fried at a high temperature for a short amount of time. She thanked her girlfriend when she put the delicious-looking plate in front of her. They both quickly ate, although Amber's idea of 'quickly' eating was a lot different from Krystal's; Amber had to wait a few minutes until she was done.   
There wasn't any time anymore to clean the dishes afterwards, and Krystal wouldn't want to risk that any of them got a stain on their clothes now right before the trial so they just left the plates in the sink. Together they hurried off towards the car. Krystal sat down behind the wheel and Amber next to her, already pulling out her hair products to put her hair in shape; she knew Krystal liked it best when it was pushed back. It sounded like something Regina George from Mean Girls would say but she simply couldn't help herself; it was the truth.  
Even before they hit the highway, the car was already smelling like hairspray. The characteristic smell made Krystal pull up her nose, but she had to admit that Amber knew her way around with it. Within a matter of minutes, her hair was parted and pushed back, giving her that classy look Krystal had been aiming for. 

It was an hour-long drive with neither of them saying much. Krystal was rehearsing her lines in her head and paying attention to the road, which meant she didn't even think of starting a conversation. She was often so concentrated that she wouldn't even hear Amber asking her questions.  
But this time the short-haired woman was quiet too, which was unusual. So unusual, even, that Krystal broke out of her concentration because it was so noticeable.   
"What are you thinking of?" she muttered, as she turned down the volume of the radio. Amber seemed to snap out of her own little concentration bubble when she heard Krystal's voice. She cleared her throat and awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck.   
"I don't know, just.. something," she mumbled.  
"It's not just something if it keeps you from singing along to Uptown Funk, even I noticed that it has already been played twice," Krystal replied. Amber made a sound that could best be qualified between a huff and a snort; she knew Krystal was right.   
"I was just wondering what was going to happen after today, you know," Amber eventually admitted. "This case isn't something small. It's going to decide the future of a whole international and I know that one of you will be devastated once the judge has made their decision. I'm just.. worried, I suppose. For you, mostly. You're acting so confident already but honestly I think it'll be a rough battle and it will hurt you, and your father, especially because you two are family.."  
Krystal listened and stayed silent, not sure what to say to make Amber calm her mind. She wasn't even sure if she should say something.   
"Just promise me that if you'll loose, that you won't shut me out.."  
This surprised her. Suddenly it was hard to stay concentrated at the road. Krystal regretted not buying a car with automatic control right now because she would've pulled Amber closer to her and kissed her passionately if she had, just to make her realize that she would never shut her out. But instead her fingers gripped the wheel so hard that her knuckles turned white.  
"I will not take out my anger on you," she replied.  
"That's not what I meant," Amber elaborated," I want you to come to me when you're happy but most of all I want you to come to me when you feel like crying or when you're so angry you could kill a man, because like it or not, Krystal, but you're an emotional person who lets herself be led by emotions whether you like it or not and if you keep bottling up your sadness then you're going to explode someday. You still have trouble opening up to me when you feel bad. I want to be the person who can help you get through it rather than the person who helps you stuffing your feelings away by not speaking up."  
Krystal fell silent again. She had no idea what to say. Amazement was the first feeling that she noticed had gathered in her body.   
"I didn't know-" she started, but she was stopped by a snort from Amber.  
"You didn't know I knew this much? I'm your girlfriend, I know you better than anyone. I had noticed this eight years ago already and partly why I was so attracted to you was because of that layer mysteriousness that held back your emotions. It was a challenge back then, nowadays I know it's only a burden."  
Krystal swallowed and sighed. She let the tip of her tongue run over her lips to wet them, and to postpone the moment she would need to speak up.   
"I didn't know you were so bothered by it..." she finished her sentence. "I thought it'd be just.. you know.. easier. If there's nothing wrong, then it's easier for us to be happy."  
Amber shook her head.  
"It would be easier but a person can't always be happy, and relationships can’t always be perfect. And that's why you have me: you can scream at me, cry on my shoulder or laugh with me, because in the end it will not matter because I love you. It's making me worry to see you put on a facade whenever you're hurt. I know I'm asking much but in the long run it's better if you let out your feelings immediately too."  
Krystal felt herself gripping the wheel tighter as she tried to hold back the tears that were forming.  
"I just really want to kiss you right now," Krystal blurted out in a shaky voice, with teary eyes. She didn't know how it got that far, but it suddenly felt like there was an enormous pressure falling off her shoulders. It was an uncommon feeling, because she had been taught to hide her feelings from a young age, but it felt really good to have someone whom she didn't have to pretend with. Someone who indeed knew all of her dark sides as well as her bright ones.   
She heard Amber chuckle. A moment later, she had taken her hand off the wheel and intertwined her fingers with Amber's. The feeling of her lips on the back of her hand lingered longer than her lips themselves. Krystal's hand shook, but Amber kept rubbing her thumb over it until she calmed down again.   
At that point, it took another ten minutes before they arrived at their destiny. 

As soon as Krystal had shut off the car engine, she basically jumped on Amber. She placed her hands in her neck, cupping her cheeks and placing a deep kiss on her lips. Amber immediately got the hint and didn't hesitate to kiss her back. It was uncomfortable to kiss in such a position; both of them were still sitting in their own seats and they had to bend awkwardly to each other to kiss well. Nevertheless, it was one of the most relieving kisses of her life. Perhaps now she realized why Amber smelled like a summer breeze: the kiss liberated her. It felt like she could fly.   
Right at the moment Amber's arms curled around her waist, she heard something tick on the glass. They quickly broke apart and saw Jackie Liu bending down, looking with a big grin through the window of the car. Krystal's cheeks immediately flared deeply red as she opened the window.   
"Krystal," Jackie started, obviously trying to contain her laughter,[i]" I hope you have a speech prepared, or will you kiss my little sister so sexually in front of the judge as well?"[/i]  
Amber started to laugh.   
"Just let the Princess be, Jackie," she laughed. The CEO of Liu Economics chuckled and shrugged.  
"I was just dropping by to say that the case will start in ten minutes, so if you could just quit your foreplay and make some time to win over Jung Internationals then that'd be great."  
"Yeah, yeah, just go already, we'll come in a minute."  
"If I catch you two having a quicky then-"  
"GO, Jackie!" Amber half bellowed, half laughed, as she scrolled up the window again. They could hear Jackie chuckle outside as she walked towards the building.   
Krystal started to moan out of embarrassment immediately, throwing herself backwards in her seat. Amber was still chuckling.  
"How come that every time we kiss Jackie is just popping up out of nowhere?" she muttered.  
"That's what big sisters do, they protect little sisters from having sex in their girlfriend’s car," Amber laughed.  
"Well I don't see Jessica anywhere around now, do I?" she sighed. "And I wasn't going to have sex with you.. here."  
"Wanna bet I can make you come in five? We could still be in time if we start-"   
"Shut up, you," Krystal chuckled, as she rolled her eyes. "Let's get just get going."  
As Krystal wanted to get out of the car, Amber grabbed her wrist.  
"You might want to correct your lipstick a bit, it has smudged."  
Krystal thankfully pecked her cheek, took out her tiny hand mirror and quickly wiped off the make-up that was not supposed to be there and got out. They immediately interlocked their fingers again. And as they walked hand in hand towards the court, Krystal couldn't help to notice how happy she was.   
\------------------  
I am aware that Victoria is only 30 years old in real life, but I added three years to Krystal's age to fit the storyline so I decided to do that with all the appearing members.


	28. Chapter twenty-seven

The trial didn't go as well as Krystal had expected it would. A few days ago, she had had to hand in the document Krystal had wanted to use to testify against her father. The signature was real and in the document, it was said Jung Internationals would be transferred to her on the date of the wedding.  
Only the judge didn't think of it so easily even though it had been crystal clear to Krystal. Clearly, the word 'wedding' that was named in the document was the thing that had set him off which was why Krystal didn't get the company to her name directly after the case had ended. The big throw-off was that Krystal wasn't getting married anymore, which had been one demands that legalized the document. Now that she wasn't getting married anymore, it was as good as worth nothing. Only her father's signature and the date mattered but the document was basically proved worthless by the judge, which made Krystal lose every leverage she had over her father.  
Still, there was hope. Her father was still sick and an old man, almost ready to retire as well, which made the judge doubt to give it back to her father. What was the use of handing it back to the old CEO who would retire in a few years? Whilst Krystal was qualified to last another few decennia.  
Not to forget that four big companies backed her up: Liu Economics, Song Software, Lee Electronics and The Empire Group. Their voices testifying for her were strong and clearly made the judge doubt the whole case. Although Krystal could’ve just bought their cooperation, the fact that all four CEO’s were here to back her up was remarkable.  
But since her father didn't have anything besides his argument that he was the legal CEO and he was still allowed to decide over the company, the judge was stuck with an almost worthless document, a young annoyed woman and an older sick man who refused to hand over his company.  
Which lead her to the decision to vote. At least, the employees were able to vote. And it wasn't the kind of charge that satisfied Krystal. Not at all.

It was her first task as an open person to not lock up her frustrations but tell Amber... and it was one of the most difficult things she had ever need to do.  
The moment they walked out of court, her girlfriend could feel the tension building up inside her body. Krystal didn't want to hold hands when Amber reached out to her. She just sat down in the seat with her arms crossed in front of her body.  
Amber sat down behind the wheel and sighed.  
"Let's go out for dinner tonight," she suggested, already feeling how bad Krystal's mood had gotten.  
"I'm not hungry."  
"Really, Krys, this is just a minor inconvenience. You said it yourself: the employees love you. There's nothing to worry about," she said. "We can go to that tapas restaurant you like, La Cubanita right?"  
"You don't understand. My father will only let level two, three and four employees vote. The majority of our employees have a level one pass. They were going to vote for me. All of those who didn't clap, who didn't support me, are level twos or threes. I'll be losing so many votes..." she sighed annoyed. "And it's La Comida. La Comida Sabrosa to be exact."  
"Well there's nothing you can do about it. Just let them vote and if you don't like the result then just go in appeal. You still have the law at your side. Shall I make a reservation for tonight? I'm feeling like eating tapas."  
"If you say so," Krystal groaned. "No, I'll make the reservation, you're driving."  
Amber chuckled softly and nodded. Krystal took her phone and called the number of the restaurant. It took only five minutes to reserve a place for two. When she hung up again, Amber shot her a look.  
"I thought you weren't hungry?" she asked carefully. Krystal squinted her eyes annoyed and stuck out her tongue.  
"Want me to cancel, then?"   
Amber just laughed and shook her head. Krystal sighed and looked out of the window, trying to clear out the smudged landscape they were driving through. But that quickly grew boring and her annoyance that had risen since the end of the hearing was still too present.  
"I just hate what he did to me, you know," she eventually sighed. Amber looked up and shot her a knowing look that was a mixture of pride and worry. Proud perhaps that Krystal initiated a conversation about her feelings and worry because she felt so bad.  
Krystal sighed again and rubbed in her eyes with her thumb and index finger.  
"He isn't a bad man. I love him, still, but he has such twisted ideas. I think he just wants what's best for me and the company but he simply can't see how toxic it all is. The way he raised me and Jess, how he doesn't want to see how happy I am now I'm not marrying a man I don't love and refuses to give me the company because of such silly reason while I dedicated my whole life to him and Jung Internationals and making him proud of me. I simply don't understand how he cannot see what sacrifices I have made.."  
Amber took her hand and pressed a caring kiss upon the back of it to calm down her shaking voice. Krystal didn't want to look up just yet to see her gaze, but to feel her hand around hers was already calming down.  
"He'll see, Krystal. It may take months or even years to convince him but he'll see. I promise."   
Krystal wiped off her teary eyes and looked up. Amber was focused on the road but there was a hint of a smile on her face, faint enough to be oblivious to strangers but Krystal had grown to recognize the way the corners of her mouth were pulled up just an inch, causing her to recognize it immediately.  
"You're doing a good job, Krystal, don't forget that. You're not wrong for wanting to be happy. As long as your intentions are true, you are never wrong. Just clear your mind from now — or you know, think about how dashingly good-looking I am, your choice — and enjoy the ride."

The voting happened a few days after. At the end of a busy Friday, they let the chosen employees come to Jung Internationals' Great Hall. The rest of the establishments would vote too. Krystal hoped that she'd get at least a few extra votes from the other establishments, especially those in Europe. Hopefully they were a little more open-minded and liked to see a new face as the spokesperson of Jung Internationals. But she didn't dare to get her hopes up yet. The whole situation was too doubtful to already predict who was going to win this battle.  
It took another few days to count all the votes, causing eventually a week to pass since the court visit.  
During that week, it was easy to notice Krystal wasn't entirely herself. As well at work as at home she had become crankier. She caught herself yelling at her once and Krystal had always promised herself to not become the kind of boss who yelled at their employees. But because of the tension of the past few weeks it became a bit too much for her to handle at some points and if your personal assistant messes up your schedule of that day, it's easier to blame them than it is to blame yourself.  
Amber had noticed it too but there was hardly anything she could do. Krystal still had trouble opening up to her. Right now, she didn't even want to try because that'd mean she might get in a fight with Amber instead and that wasn't worth it. Nevertheless, her girlfriend did notice her strange behavior. Krystal wanted it to be gone just as much as the people around her but she hadn't found a safe way to get rid of her anger and tension.

As soon as the results came in, Krystal called in a meeting with the board members, as well as her father. He wore his best suit when he came to the company. To Krystal's pleasure, she noticed some people point at her father and whisper softly behind his back as soon as he walked by. It may not be much but at least there were rumors going through the company as well. And would you gossip about the person you'd support? She just hoped that the judging glares would benefit her.  
The only people who were invited to the meeting were the board members, her father and herself. She wanted to keep it as small as possible, in case she did loose. They had invited one more person who would announce the result of the voting.  
The meeting occurred in the small meeting room. Normally, either her father or herself would've sat at the head of the table. She used to sit at her father's right hand as his second in command. She came early to the meeting room to claim her spot, but she noticed that the order of the chairs had been changed, causing her not to be able to sit at the head. The table was turned horizontally, so all of them, the board members, her father and Krystal alike, sat next to each other. The board was already present, even though Krystal was a quarter early, and had only left the two chairs at the far right and the far left end of the table.  
Evans and Mitchell alike shot her a glance, but she didn't return it. The man who was supposed to reveal the score was currently muttering softly to himself, trying to get the beamer to work and display his presentation.  
Krystal simply sat down at the left end of the table.  
Her father arrived ten minutes later. The way he walked into the meeting room immediately put Krystal off. With his back straight and the hint of a cocky smile on his face – like he had already won – he sat down on the chair on the far right end of the table. He had not greeted anyone, but had simply given Evans a nod. It seemed like he had smiled back at him, but it could also just be her imagination.  
In the meantime, the man had managed to turn on the big screen and display his presentation. As soon as Eloisa and her father’s PA had brought them all a cup of coffee, the presentation was started.  
With a small introduction that was expendable for most people in the room, he talked a quick five minutes before he got to the key point. The results of the other locations of Jung Internationals had come in yesterday, late in the afternoon. Together with the votes in Jung Internationals’ Headquarters, they had come to a conclusion.  
The longer the man was talking, the faster Krystal’s heart started to beat. She wondered if she could control her emotions if she won or lost. Or perhaps she should just let everything go and follow Amber’s advice, just to rub her father his bad job as a parent in his face.  
There at first was a histogram that showed compared the votes in the foreign countries and in the USA. Her father won with about 75 percent of the votes in the USA but Krystal had the upper hand in the foreign countries, albeit with only 60 to 70 percent.  
But the percentages didn’t mean anything if they didn’t conglomerate the results. Which happened in the last slide of the PowerPoint presentation. The final graphic showed that the votes were equally divided. At least, that’s what it looked like at first sight. As soon as the numbers showed, Krystal’s heart sank.  
Her father won with 54 percent of the votes…

With a dry throat, she underwent the feeling of the world collapsing around her. For a moment, she dazed off in her own panic, not hearing the clapping around her or the congratulations of the board for her father. She could only hear her own controlled breathing and notice the absence of her own heartbeat.  
As soon as she came back to life, Evans shot her a compassionate glance, but she didn’t want anything of that.

How she had managed a smile on her face and get up from her seat, she didn’t remember. But she did it and walked over to her father to shake his hand. The smile was dry and ached on her face, but her father had taken her hand and shaken it firmly.  
“Remember this when you’re ever thinking about overthrowing your old man again,” he had said, before he had walked out of the meeting room, together with the board. Krystal saw them leave. The man who had made the presentation packed his stuff too and she was still in the meeting room when he left too.

Eventually her hand reached for her phone in her pocket. She dialed the only person she knew who could cheer her up.  
“Come pick me up, p-please,” she breathed in the phone.  
“I’ll be there in five,” Amber had answered, before hanging up on her.


	29. Chapter twenty-eight

Amber must’ve broken all the traffic rules to get there in five. Her girlfriend looked almost like she had a hangover – her hair was messy, like she had gotten just out of bed, which was probably true since she wore the sweater from last night and the jogging pants she used for sleeping if she was cold – but her eyes were alert and extremely worried.  
Even though Amber looked like she had a hangover, Krystal really felt like it. After the results, it felt like all the energy had been drained from her body. She was almost not able to stand on her legs. Her bag was slumped over her shoulder. Krystal was someone who fainted rather easily and it felt like she could lose consciousness at every moment.  
When Amber’s car parked in front of the building, she had to watch out when she walked off the steps of the stairs. She scrolled down the window and opened the door for her – and she was glad that she did because she didn’t know if she had enough strength to open the door herself.  
Krystal let herself slump down in the seat and closed the door. She pulled up her knees, wrapping her arms around them and forming her body into a ball, trying to make her as small as possible whilst Amber made the engine purr as they drove home.  
They didn’t say anything. Krystal didn’t want to talk just yet and Amber knew her girlfriend good enough to leave her alone and tuck her in bed as soon as they arrived at her apartment.  
Amber took her back to Krystal’s apartment, helped her undress and get her into bed. Krystal was too tired to get in her pajamas and just covered herself with the blankets in her underwear. She heard Amber scurry in the living room for a second, then eventually she entered the bedroom as well and laid next to her, pulling her closer immediately. Krystal buried her face in the crook of her neck and tightly wrapped her arms around her waist, trying hard not to cry. Amber’s natural smell made her burst into tears for the first time since she had seen the results of the voting. Her shoulders shook, her tears wetted their clothes and dripped onto the sheets.  
Amber didn’t say anything, just softly hummed. And eventually that calmed her down. It took her a while, but her crying got less bad and eventually it stopped. Perhaps it was because she simply didn’t have any tears left, or that Amber was here and she was allowed to break down, but she was glad that she could.

Krystal wiped her nose and sniffled. Amber was still stroking her hair, but she had stopped with the humming. Their gaze found each other and she knew it was time to tell her what had happened.  
“With how much did he win?” she asked softly.  
“Fifty-four percent,” she answered, her voice still thick of the crying session.  
Amber shook her head.  
“You lost by 46 percent, do you know how little of a difference that is? If I were you, I wouldn’t give up. There is a big chance that your father manipulated a lot of higher-ups into voting for him instead of you. And what about the other CEO’s? Jackie, Victoria, Amy, Eric? You have to fight back.”  
“What’s the use? Dad will win anyway,” she muttered bitterly. Amber shifted her body so Krystal’s head fell off her shoulder. She looked up a bit annoyed; she wanted to be petty and cuddle with her girlfriend whilst she cursed capitalism.  
Amber looked at her angrily. Krystal immediately sensed that she was angry for real. She had never seen Amber angry, at least, she never was angry with her. They had never had a fight but it suddenly felt like they were very close from fighting, and that scared her.  
“Are you kidding me?” Amber hissed. Krystal immediately sat up right and blinked confusedly. You’re just going to quit? After all you’ve done? I thought this battle was your life battle, your dad is like the Champion League of Pokémon. You’re so close to beating him and now you’re just going to quit?”  
“If he wins there’s nothing more I can do but accept my defeat.”  
“You’re so, so wrong, do you know that?” Amber growled, rolling her eyes. “You can do so much more than to just back off. He doesn’t deserve Jung Internationals. You do. You trained for this, you know all the tips and tricks. You have been his second for years. He didn’t use to have problems with handing the company over to you. But suddenly, now that you broke up with Kai, he pulls back. Doesn’t that make you angry? He doesn’t believe in your happiness with me and he doesn’t support you as well. Don’t you want to prove him wrong? Because if you’re not going to teach him a lesson then I am going to and believe me, I will not handle it in court. I’m just going to hit him in the face so everyone knows what a disgrace he is as a man. What father abandons his daughter like that?”  
Krystal rubbed with her thumb and index finger in her eyes as she let out a sigh.  
“Don’t you think I’m angry? Don’t you think I want to shut him up as well and prove myself?” she muttered. “But I tried that and he beat me. It’s over.”  
Amber huffed annoyed.  
“It is never over, not as long as he’s the CEO. You tried playing by the rules now, you can always play dirty.”  
Krystal frowned.  
“What do you mean? It’s not like I’m going to hire in men to beat up my father,” she exclaimed in shock. Amber shook her head.  
“Of course not. But you forget how many people are backing you up here. Song Software, do you know how powerful Victoria is? Make her break the deal with Jung Internationals. They’ll lose a shit ton of profit if she does. Same if Jackie ends her agreement. If Jackie goes, Amy and Eric will follow. Jung Internationals’ network will fall when they don’t have any associates to build on, whilst the other companies will do just fine without Jung Internationals. At least, for a little while. As soon as your father gives in, you set up a new contract for them and bring them back in.  
For my part, you go to the judge and whine about how the voting wasn’t fair, that the first level employees weren’t allowed to vote. You can always try.  
Playing by the rules has never gotten anyone anywhere. This business world is corrupt and you have to play that way. He probably pulled some dirty trick to influence the voting otherwise he wouldn’t have won. Now it’s time for you to push back and show that one step backwards won’t make you pull back.”  
Krystal stared at her girlfriend in disbelief.  
“You know, I never understood why you never joined Liu Economics,” she muttered softly. If Amber had given up her music career to become a Vice-President or maybe even CEO later, there was no doubt that Liu Economics would be even more dominating the industry than it already was. If she was able to think of such good strategical plans out of the top of her head, then what would happen if she really made an effort for it?  
But Amber burst out in laughter instead.  
“Then I wouldn’t be here to help you, now, would I?” she chuckled. “C’mere.”  
Amber pulled her closer in a hug again and with a shaky breath Krystal let herself fall in her arms again, burying her face in the crook of Amber’s neck, breathing in her scent. Krystal wrapped her arms around Amber and sighed.

Her girlfriend lifted up her chin after a few moments and smiled.  
“Thank you for being with me,” Krystal whispered softly, when their eyes met. Amber bowed down to kiss her. Their lips met softly and Krystal immediately felt loved. It had been long since she thought that Amber might be faking her feelings, that she didn’t like her at all. You couldn’t kiss someone so lovingly if you were faking it.  
Krystal’s hand gripped Amber’s shirt tightly, clutching the fabric in her fist when she deepened the kiss. Amber immediately responded. She placed her hand in Krystal’s neck, cupping her cheek and pulling her closer even more. It didn’t take long before the need of oxygen started to make them pant into each other’s mouths. Whenever they broke apart to shift into a better position they gasped for breath, only to press their lips onto each other’s again as soon as they had settled again. Krystal was the one who tapped on Amber’s lower lip with her tongue. She immediately opened her mouth to let her in. The low moan that erupted in the back of her throat was enough to send shivers down Krystal’s spine.  
Amber landed with her back in the pillows and Krystal swung her legs over her body so she was on top. It didn’t happen often that Amber let her top. Both of them preferred it the other way, with Krystal as the bottom and Amber hoovering over her. But all of the tension of the past few weeks were becoming too much for her and right now she just really wanted this so she could let it all out.  
When Krystal started to press down with her hips, Amber placed both of her hands on her cheeks and pulled them softly apart. As soon as their lips were removed from each other, their eyes opened and they stared at each other. Confusion had gathered in Amber’s eyes, whilst Krystal’s were filled with pure lust.  
“You know, when I said you should let out your feelings in a healthy way I didn’t mean that you should bang me sore,” she said casually. Krystal rolled her eyes and already bowed down again.  
“Just let me do this, I really, really want you,” she whispered against Amber’s lips. She felt her already buck her hips up a bit, groaning uncomfortably.  
“This is just another unhealthy way, you know that, right? You should talk about it, instead of-“  
Amber’s sentence was cut off when Krystal unclipped her bra and took it off with one swift motion. Her jaw dropped a bit. Amber’s eyes shifted for a split second to her bare breasts, but forced herself to look back to Krystal’s face, even though her cheeks reddened. She noticed how Amber’s jaw tightened. It made Krystal smile, knowing that it took only a few more seconds to break her and give in to her.  
The past few weeks had been a sexual frustration for both of them; because of Krystal’s busy schedule and cranky mood as soon as she got home, sex had been off the table. Amber hadn’t complained but Krystal knew she felt as frustrated as she did, maybe even more.  
“We already talked about it, didn’t we?” she smiled. Her hand moved between Amber’s legs. She didn’t even touch anything but her inner thighs yet but it was already enough to make Amber bite her lower lip hard.  
Suddenly, without any warning, Amber came up from the sheets, grabbed Krystal by the waist and turned them around, so that Krystal’s back hit the bed and Amber was now on top. In a reflex, she had wrapped her legs around Amber’s body. She blinked in surprise, since it had happened in a split second.  
Amber bowed down, grabbing both of her hands and pushing them into the mattress. She brought her face close and this time it was Krystal who gulped.  
“If you so badly want to fuck all of the stress out, then let me be top,” she said, as a grin formed on her face. But Krystal had already made up her mind, and if Krystal Jung set her mind to something, she was sure to get it. If only she was as strong as Amber, then she could’ve just turned them around as well. Sadly, she wasn’t, so she needed to pull some tricks to get Amber back on her back again. A smile grew on her face when she thought of that.  
“No,” she grinned. Amber was caught off-guard by Krystal’s response, and she used this to slip her hand in her jogging pants and into her underwear. Normally she would’ve started with her bra, but times like these took drastic measures and Krystal knew that Amber’s most sensitive spot was her center.  
Amber frowned deeply and looked away when Krystal felt how wet she already was, hopelessly trying to control herself. She breathed heavily and probably tried to control her moans as much as she could. Krystal couldn’t take her eyes off of her face, simply intrigued about the indecisiveness that was going on inside Amber’s body. She could feel the tension building up between them.  
Krystal’s finger explored her wetness; she let her finger trace circles around her entrance or move closer and closer towards her clit. Amber was still trying as hard as she could to stay on top, to balance her body on her legs and arms, but she saw how her arms were shaking and how deep her teeth were pressed into her lower lip. She wouldn’t last much longer and Krystal had barely done anything yet.  
She decided not to go easy on her, she didn’t want to. The moment two of Krystal’s fingers entered Amber, her girlfriend let out the moan she had been holding and closed her eyes. Her body shook. But she made it only last for a few seconds before she pulled back, causing Amber to open her eyes confused. Krystal smiled evilly.  
“Let me top,” she demanded. Amber rolled her eyes, sighed and scooted over, let herself fall on the bed as Krystal regained her position with a grin. But the moment Krystal had adjusted her body, Amber pushed her back in the sheets.  
“I’m not topped that easily, Krystal,” she chuckled smugly, causing Krystal to pout in annoyance. “There’s a reason why I’m always the top. And that’s because I work for it and know what to do. If you want to prove yourself, you’re allowed to try, but I’ll be pushing back.”  
Krystal started to chuckle too. Swiftly, she pulled Amber closer.  
“That’s exactly what I hoped for,” she muttered, before she kissed her.

Krystal had never felt so free. Now she understood why Amber preferred to be the top: it was incredibly hot to hear your lover moan your name from underneath you. Even though they took turns, it still felt great to pin Amber to the bed every time; it almost turned into an addiction.

It was 6 PM when they finally laid still next each other, the sheets covering only half of their naked bodies, still panting of their activities of the last hour. For a moment, they could only stare at the ceiling, letting the amazing post-sex feeling rush through their bodies.  
“I do not entirely agree with you letting your stress out through sex but I would be lying if I said I didn’t love what just happened,” Amber eventually admitted, causing Krystal to laugh.  
“Perhaps it was just because I was a top,” she remarked. Amber shot her a look and rolled her eyes.  
“I allowed you to have your fun this time but the next time you’re the bottom again,” she said.  
“Nuh-uh, now I have had a taste of the good stuff I won’t go back to being a bottom anymore.”  
“We’ll alternate… sometimes. I can’t promise anything,” Amber said. Krystal chuckled. She propped herself up by her elbow and pulled the sheets with her, to cover her breasts.  
“No, I want to be the top,” she pouted. Amber lifted her eyebrows and snorted.  
“Are you pulling your Princess charms on me? It’s not working, honey.”  
Krystal pouted some more and bowed down to place a kiss on Amber’s cheek. She heard her girlfriend chuckle.  
“I promise we’ll alternate but I’m not letting you have all the fun on your own,” she said. Krystal sighed and rolled her eyes.  
“It’ll do, I suppose.”  
Amber kissed her back on her cheek and smiled.

It didn’t take long before they got hungry and because today was Krystal’s guilty pleasure day, they decided to order pizza. They both took a pizza on their own, the biggest size they could get. Krystal had only dressed herself in a tank top that belonged to Amber and new undies. She didn’t bother to put on a bra or pants because she wouldn’t be leaving her apartment either way. Especially since they were going to have a movie night, she didn’t bother to get dressed.  
Amber had to put on jogging pants and a sweater to reveal she was actually wearing nothing underneath when she went to open the door and take the pizzas. The moment Amber came back into the bedroom with the two cardboard boxes, Krystal’s belly started to growl. The scent was amazing.  
Amber crawled back into the bed as Krystal took the remote of her TV – a few days ago she had installed a flat screen TV in the bedroom, so that she wouldn’t even have to leave her bed anymore if she had one of her ‘Netflix days’, and it came in handy right now too – and scrolled through the movies in her list. They eventually decided to watch Blue is the Warmest Color, Krystal’s favorite movie.  
They cuddled up together under the blankets, holding each other’s hands with one and a slice of pizza with the other.

The next morning, Krystal went to work with her head high and her make-up on point. Amber had helped her prepare in the morning because she really hadn’t felt like going. But her girlfriend had given her courage after a quick pep-talk and Krystal felt like she could take on the world at the moment. She was vibrating with confidence, knowing that she still had a plan B if her father wouldn’t listen to her.  
She walked towards her office and settled down. It had been Krystal’s plan to visit her father at home after she was done with work so she could ask him once more if he truly felt okay with his decision that he wouldn’t hand over the company to her, hoping to try and make him feel guilty about had he had done. Perhaps she could work on his emotions that he hid so well and convince him anyway. Otherwise she was going back to the judge, like Amber had said, or she’d call Victoria.  
Her plan was completely flushed down the toilet when she saw her father leaning against her desk when she came in. She immediately frowned as she suspiciously put her bag down.  
Her father had his arms crossed in front of each other and he wore the suit he had worn yesterday too. His hair was slick and pushed back, with a separation in the middle. He looked like he hadn’t been sick at all, but as soon as he pointed his gaze at her, she noticed his blood-shot eyes and the dark circles underneath his eyes.  
Her father was not only getting old, he was also growing fragile and even though he didn’t want anyone to notice, Krystal knew. She knew and partly therefor she wanted Jung Internationals so badly.  
“Father,” she said neutrally. Her father raised his right eyebrow and cleared his throat.  
“I’m proud of you that you came to work. Not many would have come after such a defeat. I raised you well.”  
“Clearly not well enough to hand over the company to me,” she replied bitterly. She ignored her father and sat down behind her desk, opening her laptop. Her father sighed and turned around, taking eventually one of the chairs and sitting down.  
“No, I raised you well. I am not that narrow-minded that I don’t know your sexuality is something you can’t help. I know for sure that if you had the choice you would have chosen to be like everyone else. Like nature wants it to be.”  
Krystal stared at her father in utter disgust.  
“I do not wish to speak about my love life with you anymore,” she said coldly. “But I can assure you that I would not have chosen differently. I have found more happiness in these few months with Amber than I have in four years with Kai. Therefor I also decided I do not mind if the media finds out about my sexuality. I hid it since I was fifteen and I am done hiding. I took me eleven years to accept who I am and finally I’m able to tell the world I am dating woman with pride. It is hard to understand how difficult it is for someone who doesn’t have to hide their gender preference but I can assure you that I wasted those eleven years of my life. I could have used them to get you get used to it.”  
Her father stayed silent for a moment. He eventually bowed down towards her. For a moment, Krystal was scared he was going to hit her. He had never hit her as a child but that didn’t take the fear away that one day he might. Instead, he pressed on a button on her office phone.  
“Yes, Ms. Jung?” they heard Eloisa say through the intercom.  
“Two cups of coffee please, Eloisa. A cappuccino for me, an espresso for my daughter.”  
“O-oh, Mr. Jung.. Of course, I’ll be there in a minute.”  
Her father took his finger from the button and bowed down.  
“I guess this will be a long and tiring conversation. It’s best to get over with it, right?” he asked her. Krystal clenched her jaws and nodded.

Eloisa came in after a few moments with the two damping cups of coffee, placing the espresso in front of Krystal and the cappuccino in front of her father. Her PA could feel the tension from the moment she stepped into the room; she shot Krystal a compassionate glance and hurried out of the room.  
“I want to know why you won’t hand over the company to me,” Krystal demanded, as soon as she was out. “Because I won’t marry Kai? Because I’m dating Amber? Because our opponents might find out I am dating a woman? Or because I’m actually incompetent for the job?  
I have already Liu Economics, Song Software, Lee Electronics and The Empire Group behind me, four of our biggest associates. I lost with only a little of the votes from you, which means a lot of the employees believe in me. I already came out so that is in the open now. There is no reason why you would keep it from me.”  
Her father sighed. He took his time to answer her; first taking a few sips of his coffee before he spoke.  
“It’s a matter of principles, Krystal,” he said. “It’s not that I don’t want you to take over; I have guided you for years. But it’s like watching the falcon you trained so thoroughly be hunted down by a faster bird. I can’t let you give you my position easily because it doesn’t feel right and you’re not ready. You don’t deserve it yet and I don’t want to hand it over yet. Too much can go wrong if I just let you be CEO. It’s not going to happen and since I still have enough leverage to hold onto my position, I will as long as my body lets me.”  
Krystal tried to control her anger but she couldn’t help to form fists with her hands.  
“How can you even say that I don’t deserve that position,” she breathed in pure rage. Her voice had dropped dangerously low. “I have dedicated my whole life to this. I worked so hard at school to earn only a job as an intern here and I worked my way up all by myself. You promised me the company would be mine, you told me all those years that if I worked hard enough you’d give it to me. This is my destiny. I eat, breath and sleep this company and you still dare to say that I do not deserve it?”  
Her father looked back at her with a straight face.  
“You didn’t work hard enough.”  
Krystal was about to lose her patience and before she started screaming, she pointed at the door and hissed:  
“Get. Out.”  
Her father sighed and ran with his hand through his hair before he stood up with a grunt. He left her office without saying another word, leaving Krystal with her boiling anger.

Without thinking twice, she dialed the number of the person she knew who would help her. Her phone rung only twice before it got picked up.  
"Victoria, I have a favor to ask of you."


	30. Chapter twenty-nine

t took Victoria two hours to get to Jung Internationals. The moment Krystal had called her, she had immediately gotten up from work in pure excitement. She had wanted to explain her plan on the phone, but Victoria had cut her off the moment she started, already guessing it would take longer than a few minutes.  
Krystal hadn’t bothered to reserve the small meeting room; it was better to enlighten her about the plan in her own office. Her father wasn’t allowed to know that Victoria was coming and they had to keep it as discreet as possible. The only person she told was Eloisa and even to her she didn’t mention Victoria’s real status. Even though her PA was incredible and they had gone through a lot together, Eloisa was known for being a blabbermouth and she didn’t want the whole company to know.  
   
Victoria arrived silent in her office, opening the door without knocking and simply barging in. She wore a black dress that hugged her figure well, with heels that made her even taller – Krystal was so jealous of her height – and dark make-up that made Eloisa cringe of nervousness when she walked after her in the office, as if Victoria was the one to let her instead of the other way around. Her back was straight and her face serious. Victoria Song breathed pure business and Krystal was even gladder she was on her side.  
Krystal stood up and directed Victoria to the leather sofa, since it was a little more comfortable. Eloisa left the office and came a few minutes later back with two cups of strong, black coffee. Victoria drunk her coffee the same as Krystal.  
"I suppose the voting didn't go so well," Victoria started, as she took her cup from the small coffee table. Krystal sighed and ran with her fingers through her hair, only to have it fall back exactly the same way.  
"He won with 54 percent of the votes."  
Victoria raised her eyebrows.  
"I'm surprised you lost. Didn't you assure me you had all of the females behind you?" she said suspiciously, as if she had purposefully sabotaged the result herself. Krystal huffed.  
"I do, the only thing is that they're our level one employees. Only level twos and threes were allowed to participate. My speech might have worked contrary, eventually. I might have lost votes when I came out. The males were not that happy and they were the ones who were allowed to vote. Almost as if we’re back in the 18th century again."  
Victoria shook her head.  
“That’s very unlikely. Even men have hearts – sometimes… The thing is that the level one employees weren’t able to vote. You would’ve won with so many votes if only they had been allowed to,” she thought out loud. “Either way, what do you want from me, if we have concluded that the problem was the disallowance of the other employees.”  
“The thing is that we cannot do anything about that. Father has pleaded for that in court and the judge agreed – he said that only employees with a higher position were allowed to vote because they were the ones leading the company, and not some sort of desk lady. Amber proposed that I should ask the judge if he could change her decision, but I’m not that kind of person.”  
Victoria put her chin up in the air, creating the typical arrogant look people were used of her, and rose one of her eyebrows. She smiled almost wickedly.  
“So, you want my help to get revenge?” she asked curiously. Krystal smiled back.  
“Is that a yes?”  
“Of course. The only reason I even signed that stupid contract is because of you. If you won’t become the CEO, there’s nothing here for me to stay. What did you have in mind?”  
   
Krystal told her the whole story; about how she was going to ask Jackie, Amy and Eric too to pull back and break the contract with Jung Internationals. It would cost them a few million to break it – although Victoria had already assured her that it wasn’t a problem, probably for the other leaders too – but Krystal was prepared to help and pay it. As soon as the contracts would be off the table, Jung Internationals’ economy would crumble down. Her father would need to make drastic measures and people would get fired. He’d get criticized by the media. At that time, Krystal would make her re-appearance as candidate for the CEO title and launch another campaign. With all the faith of the employees erased, Krystal would bring out another voting and she’d claim those few extra votes she was missing right now, causing her to win the voting and the CEO title.  
As soon as her father had retired, Krystal would draught a new contract for Song Software, Liu Economics, Lee Electronics and the Empire Group and restore the bonds Jung Internationals had with their associates. Her employees would even love her more because she brought back Jung Internationals’ incredible economy and she could re-hire the employees that were fired by her father. They didn’t deserve to lose their job over a fight Krystal had with her father and she was planning to send them a letter as soon as they were fired, to let them know that as soon as her plan worked out they would be able to re-claim their place in the company.  
   
Victoria had listened carefully to Krystal’s story, sometimes humming in agreement. She stayed silent for a couple of seconds after she stopped talking, taking her time to think.  
“It’s not a bad idea. The only thing I’m worried about is that it will affect the other companies badly. And Jung Internationals might take a blow as well. To cut of the connections with four of the major associates… there is a chance the company will never be the same again. You’ll have a difficult job as a CEO from the moment you start. The economy of the company will go downwards.”  
Krystal nodded. She had her hands wrapped around the already lukewarm coffee cup, quickly taking two big sips.  
“Do you think there’s a possibility it’ll work out?” she asked, after she swallowed. “I want your honest opinion.”  
Victoria stayed silent for a moment, just observing the empty mug in her hands. Eventually, she put it down and pointed her gaze at Krystal. It didn’t happen often that those black eyes contained a sense compassion.  
“You have to ask yourself if it’s worth the risk. The company’s future will change drastically, people will be fired… But a war has never been won by playing by the rules. And there is a chance, if it happens fast, the company’s economy won’t take very long to recover from the pull back of the other companies. If I were you, I’d take the risk. But then again, I’m a very adventurous woman,”[/i] Krystal tried to keep in her laughter – she couldn’t exactly picture Victoria climbing a mountain, [i]“-and I took a risk myself too when I became CEO. If you can help this company out of its economic crisis, the employees will love you even more.”  
Krystal let a sigh escape her mouth – a sigh of relief. If Victoria – the criminal master mind of the business world – agreed to her plan, then there at least was a chance that is was going to work out.  
“But there’s a possibility your father will kick you out as soon as he notices it’s you, you know that right?” the older woman added. Krystal looked up and nodded.  
“He can try.”  
   
It took her a week to inform the other CEO’s. Jackie didn’t even let her finish; she agreed half way her story, the moment Krystal told her about what she wanted from Liu Economics. She told her that the Liu’s would always side with her and support her, even if there was a chance of failing. Amy Lee from Lee Electronics was a little more sceptic, like Victoria. But she was eventually convinced when Krystal told her Song Software and Liu Economics were already in on the game.  
Nevertheless, Eric refused. He told her kindly that he would not want to risk getting on her father’s bad side and that the Empire Group wasn’t running that well on itself, so they needed Jung Internationals’ support. If they were going to break the contract, it would influence his company badly.  
Krystal couldn’t blame him. It was nothing more than logical that he thought of his own company first before helping others, especially since the thing Krystal asked of him was rather big.  
The Empire Group would stay out of this, which made it a women versus men case, the only three female CEO’s in the business plus Krystal together would oppose against her father. It was going to be one hell of a fight.  
   
Krystal would draught a contract for all three of the women, so that she at least had some insurance that they really were going to break the contract. It wasn’t like she didn’t trust them – especially Jackie and Victoria had earned her trust long ago – but Amy was still doubtful and she would get suspicious if only she was needed to sign the contract, so she made the other two sign as well.  
Now that Krystal had their autographs, it was all settled. She didn’t want to carry out her plan immediately. First, she needed to make sure that her father would more or less trust her again. He didn’t entirely need to trust her – and she sure as hell wasn’t going to act nice again – but she wanted him to not accuse her right away as soon as the plan was set in motion.  
   
Krystal decided to wait two months. It was a long time and she was aching to pay back her father for the fact that he had kept Jung Internationals from her, but Victoria and Jackie agreed that it was the best choice to make. It didn’t matter that her father knew it was her but she didn’t want him to stop her before she could even carry out half of the plan. For it to be effective, she needed to have enough space to carry every single piece of it out, otherwise it wouldn’t work. He needed to sort of trust her again and view her as that loyal employee she used to be.  
   
The waiting was terrible. Krystal spend her time at the office being the perfect vice president, always handing in her work on time, running the company efficiently and flawlessly whilst her father was resting at home and basically performing like she always does. Evans tried to make her come back on the deal they had made together once or twice, but Krystal had very innocently said that the deal would have only lasted if she had become the new CEO – and she hadn’t. With her new plan she probably needed to give him the position anyway, but if it all worked out she guessed she could live with Evans becoming her VP.  
The safest was to keep Evans at a distance, though. He was still a dangerous man and even though he had agreed to helping Krystal, she knew he had only done it because Krystal had offered him something her father couldn’t. He was still loyal to her father – as far as you could call Evans loyal – and she didn’t want to risk blurting out something of her plan to him, so he could tell her off to her father right away.  
   
For a while, it seemed like nothing had happened at all. In the first two weeks, some of the employees couldn’t help themselves and stared at her when she walked by. But Krystal didn’t pay them attention and didn’t speak of her defeat, so even that grew boring. The media was enlightened as well, but Krystal nor her father wanted to give an interview, which led to a dead end as well.  
Back at home, things settled as well. Krystal wasn’t that busy anymore – at least, not busier than usual – so she had some more time to spend with Amber. Her girlfriend at the prospect to revenge were the only things that made her keep going. Especially Amber made everything bearable and there wasn’t one moment she regretted being with her. It has been 6 months since they started dating, since Krystal’s inauguration. It had been one hell of a ride but it was all worth it.  
   
Eventually, people simply forgot. They forgot that Krystal had ever tried to run for the company’s President and they forgot that she wasn’t the kind of person to accept defeat easily. And that was the exact moment Krystal waited for.  
   
One month, three weeks and four days later, Victoria received Krystal’s call – her starting signal. It only took Victoria a few hours to come up with a reasonable e-mail that she sent to her father. The next day, the whole company was in uproar. She had never seen so many people literally running around, papers flying everywhere and even de the desk ladies were busy telephoning all sorts of people. And that was only the entrance hall.  
   
As soon as Krystal got upstairs, she was dragged into a meeting with the board and her father. They were all busily discussing the matter at hands when she came in. With a fake surprised expression, she looked at the big screen, which displayed Victoria’s e-mail.  
“What on earth made her pull back on us?” Evans exclaimed loudly. His baritone voice sounded over all the other voices, even her father’s, who softly tried to shush them.  
“That bitch has no right to cancel on us! We’re one of the leading companies, we could destroy Song Software if we wanted to!” Jasper Watson, one of the other board members screamed. Mitchell immediately started to shush him – since her father had stopped – but Evans as well as Watson were incredibly hyped up by the idea that this was all unfair. Her father was leaning back in his chair, with his hand supporting his head. He was watching the other five men fight about how to handle this, whilst staying silent himself. He was observing them, she noticed.  
Krystal took her place on her father’s right hand and laid down her stuff. She as well let the other five – well, actually, the other four since Mitchell wasn’t participating in the heated discussion that grew louder with every passing second – cool down.  
As soon as they were calmed down, Krystal stood up.  
“Does anyone of you actually know the actual reason she left?” she asked them. Toby Young and Cooper Jackson, the final two board members, already opened their mouths to tell her how stupid she was: it was right there on the screen. But Krystal made them be silent with a single hand signal.  
“Besides, of course, that she didn’t want to work with my father? That’s a lame excuse, don’t you think?” she said. That made the men finally shut up well. They didn’t know exactly what to say.  
Evans watched her suspiciously.  
“Do you know more than we do, Krystal?” he asked her. Krystal snorted disdainfully.  
“She didn’t even bother to send me a mail. Do you think I know more than you bunch do? No, it’s just that if Victoria Song pulls out on us, there might be something going on, don’t you think?”  
This caused the rest to start chit chatting again, softly mumbling with each other. Her father stood up from his chair as well and sighed. His shoulders and jaw were tensed, his brows furrowed. He looked at each of them with utter seriousness. Krystal saw the dark circles underneath his eyes. Even though her father worked again, he still wasn’t as fit as he used to be.  
Eventually, he turned his gaze to her.  
“I want you on the case, Krystal. Find out why she pulled back. Go by Song Software as soon as possible and get me that information. I want to cover it up as fast as possible before something even worse happens. You’re all dismissed.”  
With a grave face, her father walked with large passes out of the meeting room. The board quickly packed their stuff and hurried after her father the way only a kiss-ass can. Only Mitchell stayed behind. He gave her a knowing gaze and a soft smile. Krystal forced herself to smile back, as innocently as possible. He lingered for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but then shook his head and walked out, following his other board members.  
Krystal let out a relieved sigh. A bubble of excitement started to grow in her chest when she thought of how well this might work out. If she was the one who would need to retrieve information from Victoria, she could control the situation the way she wanted. It was ideal.  
   
With a triumphant smile, she walked out of the meeting room.


	31. Chapter thirty

Krystal went by Victoria’s office the following day. It would be best to actually go there, she had reckoned, because if she didn’t there always was a chance that Eloisa might accidentally betray her by selling her off to her father.  
The trip to Song Software took a little less than an hour, since it was just located in the outskirts of the city. On the road, she called her partner in crime to enlighten her that she’d be paying a short visit. It would be good to catch up on the situation together, since Victoria didn’t know anything yet about the meeting today, and whether she talked to her by phone or in face-to-face, it wouldn’t matter.

The Headquarters of Song Software was built in an abandoned factory and the interior was styled that way. It carried the company’s motto very well: “We can create something new from something old!”. The company’s specialty was programming old computers with new operating systems, slightly alternating the exterior and creating that vintage look that many people like nowadays. Together with selling their high-tech software to Apple as well as Microsoft, they make great money.  
The walls were still made of old bricks without a lick of paint and the floors of grey concrete, giving it that urban style that was very popular nowadays. In spite of the old bricks, the rest of the company was high-tech, probably even more advanced than Jung Internationals. The furniture was made of simple light wood and there were a lot of windows, making the rooms very light. It vibrated off a warm feeling.

Victoria’s PA let her into the office. It was styled the same way as the rest of the building, which surprised Krystal. She had pictured Victoria as the kind of woman who liked the black-and-white theme, with little windows and the newest of the newest furniture and a real Piet Mondrian painting on the wall. She noticed that she had been wrong all along.  
Victoria’s office was exactly like the rest of the company. The only thing that was different was that there were also windows in the ceiling, which was possible because her office was located on the upper level. She sat behind her desk, a large oak-wood desk on a leather chair, typing quickly on her MacBook. Behind her was another door, that lead to a small balcony.  
Victoria looked up and smiled, signing that she should sit. Krystal sat down on the comfortable designer chair, coated with dim apple green fabric. She crossed her legs over each other again.  
Victoria typed a few final words on her laptop, only to close it after so she could look at Krystal. Her PA came in with two steamy mugs of coffee, Krystal’s identical to Victoria’s. She thankfully took it in her hand and tried to take a sip, only to burn her tongue. She pulled a face. Victoria chuckled softly.  
“Well, what did they think of my e-mail? Pretty good right?” she asked her proudly. Krystal put her cup away and nodded as a big smile grew on her face.  
“I loved how you flat out told them that you didn’t want to work with my father,” she chuckled. Victoria snickered as well.  
“I thought I’d better tell them the truth. And if they won’t believe me, it contains just enough mysteriousness that they get suspicious. If Jackie and Amy pull out too, they may think I have set it all up. They’ll blame me, not you. It’s ideal! And since there’s no proof I have set them up, they won’t be able to harm me.”  
Krystal grinned, loving it how they were on the same page. It surprised her how well they worked together. Only a few months ago they were sworn enemies. Now they worked together like they don't know any better. They didn't even need to deliberate for them to understand each other.  
“And the best thing is that father put you on the case, he wanted you to find out what was wrong. We can make up anything we want and he won’t even know,” Victoria chuckled softly. Krystal laughed along.  
Did she feel bad for lauhghing? Perhaps a little – he was still her father. But she remembered she did this for the greater good. She wanted Jung Internationals, even if it was just a matter of principles. She wanted her father to see that she was ready to become the company’s CEO and she wanted to be happy with Amber too.

They discussed the last half hour what Krystal would say to her father before she left. Since the board was already expecting that there was something more going on, they had decided to make up the story that Victoria believed Song Software was treated unfairly in the absence of the CEO due to his illness. She wanted Krystal to say that the communication was poorly and that audited her decision to sign the contract with Jung Internationals. So, little benefits were too little to make her stay with a company that didn’t even know how to run itself.

As soon as Krystal delivered the message, her father called together another meeting with the board. He made Krystal tell the whole story again. Near the end her voice couldn’t even be heard anymore over the loud voices of the arguing men.  
“Is there nothing we can do to make Ms. Song stay? Song Software is a dangerous opponent to have,” Mitchell said, still trying to be at least a bit objective, unlike the others whom were already cursing at Victoria.  
“Didn’t her company take part in the design of iOS Sierra? And after it launched, she helped Microsoft with his counter attack on Apple?” Evans said. Krystal chuckled softly, causing the others to look at her weirdly. She immediately controlled her facial expressions again, but inside she was still laughing. Only Victoria was able to make up such a plan: set up the two leading electronical companies up against each other by designing new, advanced software for both of them. Victoria would get paid double, since both companies used her software. It was the work of a mastermind.  
“To get back at you, Mitchell,” she started,“-Ms. Song told me she didn’t want to negotiate with a Chairman that was born in the Jurassic period, nor a ‘baby who had just outgrown diapers’. I think she’s pretty done.”  
“Am I the only one who doesn’t understand why it matters that Song Software abandoned us? It’s not like Ms. Song can harm us in any way,” Toby Young asked. Her father hadn’t said anything at all during the meeting, but now banged on the table with his hand. The board and Krystal alike looked up, startled.  
“Of course she can harm us! Do you think Victoria Song is just some average woman? If she is wronged, whether we think it’s just, she will want revenge. And Song Software has as much connections as we do, as well with Liu Economics, Lee Electronics and the Empire Group, three of our biggest partners. If she gets them at her side, our whole company will be ruined!”  
For a moment, it was completely silent in the meeting room. Her father had six pairs of eyes on him and he stared back at each and every one of them, one by one.  
Krystal was surprised he had figured it out as quickly as that.  
“Liu Economics won’t leave us. Jacob Liu is your friend. They have been with us from the start,” Jackson Cooper quietly hinted.  
“But Jacob Liu isn’t CEO of Liu Economics anymore. And his daughter is a lot more incalculable than her father. She has something that all of the Liu children have-” her father shot Krystal a look as he said this, and she pressed her lips tightly upon each other, “- which is great recklessness. And that can either be good or bad for the company. There is no insurance that Liu Economics will stay with Jung Internationals.  
As for Lee Electronics and The Empire Group; they’re too small of an investment to decide such a big thing on their own. They will either need Song Software or Jung Internationals to suck onto to make a living, and they will choose the company who will have the upper hand.  
If Victoria is going to play this game, it can get ugly. Krystal, I want an official apology from Jung Internationals as fast as possible to Ms. Song. Also send her something... a fruit basket or something, or chocolate muffins. Whatever she likes best.  
We cannot stop Song Software from leaving us, but I want Victoria Song eliminated as an enemy right away. We can’t give her the opportunity to stab us in the back.”

Krystal wrote the letter her father asked her to, just for the sake to make Victoria laugh. She also chose a little basket filled with chocolate truffles, bonbons and macarons for her, with the most expensive products she could find.  
As soon as she had enlightened her father, he gave her another assignment: he wanted her to keep an eye on the other companies, to look if they were showing any signs from breaking the contract with Jung Internationals any time soon.  
Little did he know that Krystal already knew.

And even though Krystal was on the booking process when it came to carrying out her plan, she was losing that week when it came to her relationship. Amber was leaving for Korea that weekend and she had a hard time letting go.

She laid in Amber’s bed. Nowadays, they spent a lot of time in Krystal’s apartment, because she often was too tired to go to Amber’s place after work. Amber didn’t mind coming to Krystal and she liked it that she always had her girlfriend with her to cuddle with but she would be lying if she said she hadn’t missed the smell of Amber’s pillow. Whenever they laid in bed together, only part of Amber’s scent got through and she had forgotten how drenched Amber’s stuff were of that free, summer breeze scent. It was so strong that it made her dizzy.  
The apartment, the bed, the soft sound of Jack Jack scurrying in the living room made her feel safe even though there was nothing to be afraid of. Later that day she would need to leave – it had been in Krystal’s diary for weeks – and she didn’t at all want to let her go yet.  
Amber had explained that she needed to go to Korea for a week or two, perhaps three, because of the album she was currently working at. Normally, she created overall new songs, that she sold to SM Entertainment and that they used in different albums for different artists. But they had asked her to compose a full album, featuring thirteen songs, for Luna’s comeback. And most of the writing and composing had been done at home, but Luna – who had left the US a week earlier than Amber – still needed to record the songs, and they wanted Amber to be there, to optimize the songs.  
Krystal had been understanding; these kinds of things just came with the job. It was the same with Krystal’s job. She couldn’t help it either that she was home late often and that she had to get up early in the morning.  
That didn’t mean she had to like it though…

Krystal had always found it funny how practically all the songs Luna sang were about her and Amber. All the sad love songs she had produced in those eight years they had been apart had been about her and all the cute ‘I’m-so-happy-to-be-in-love’ kind of songs were about her too. The fact that Luna and Amber used to sleep together didn’t bother Krystal anymore since she knew that every song Luna had sung had been produced by Amber. That album was going to be a token of her love and Krystal was sure to get a copy of it as soon as it came out.

That didn’t take away that she was jealous of Luna that she was able to spend so much time with Amber. She didn’t doubt that they would almost spent every day in the week together. That she and Krystal were dating now, didn’t take away that Amber and Luna were still friends and they’d probably go out together, head out to some clubs or just stay at home to watch a movie. Krystal knew Amber well enough that she knew for sure that nothing would happen, but she still was a bit jealous. She wanted to go out with Amber too without feeling tired. The weekends weren’t long enough to catch up all their wasted time. Most of the time, they stayed in bed to cuddle, but Krystal had come to a point in their relationship now in which she wanted to scream off the rooftops that Amber was her girlfriend, and she hated how her work made it almost impossible to do that.

“Your plane leaves at six, right?” Krystal mumbled into the pillows, still sleep drunk. Yesterday they had fallen asleep late and Amber had been packing her suitcase since early in the morning. Without a solid 8 hours of sleep, Krystal was rather tired and as Amber packed her stuff, she didn’t bother to get up from the bed filled with pillows that smelled so good.  
“Yeah. Want to come and drop me off?” she asked, without looking up at her girlfriend. She just turned around to her closet to take more clothes out. She recognized the sweater with R2-D2. That sweater was and still is her favorite. Krystal had worn it the night she had come home from Amber’s place, after they had made up after Krystal had wanted to break off their secret relationship. Amber had told her back then that she had never forgotten her and that she had been on her mind constantly those past eight years. She had just budged and at the end of the evening, she hadn’t even noticed she had gone home whilst still wearing Amber’s sweater.  
“Don’t you think that’ll be a bit too emotional? I mean, I might cry,” Krystal chuckled. She heard Amber snicker too.  
“I’m only leaving for three weeks, just see it as a holiday. We’ll face-time every day, I promise.”  
“Yes, finally I’ll be able to rest!” Krystal joked. “I don’t want to think of it as a holiday, though. If I picture you on a holiday, then it is with me, holding my hand whilst we stroll down a beach of some inhabited island together.”   
Amber looked up and started to laugh. Krystal looked back at her from the bed, only with one eye open since the other was squeezed shut by the pillow.  
“You want to go on a holiday with me to the jungle? We have to hunt and collect for our food, distillate sea water so we can use it to drink. In no time we’ll just be two female versions of Tarzan. Both running around in nothing more than-”  
Krystal pouted.  
“I forgot to mention there’s a five-star hotel in the background,” she added innocently. Amber chuckled and shook her head as she went on with packing.

Krystal propped herself up, laying her arm underneath her pillow so she was able to look better at Amber. With half of a smile on her face, she watched her girlfriend pack her suitcase. She only wore a sweater and shorts, but even then, Krystal was so attracted to her that it almost hurt.  
Amber either didn’t notice her watching her or she just let her, because she didn’t respond. It was about 11 PM and Krystal had no intention of getting up yet.  
“Is Jack Jack coming with you? And Tuna?”  
Amber scratched the back of her neck.  
“I used to take them but I was wondering if you could drop by to take care of them? Tuna will be okay if you just feed her but Jack Jack has to be let out so if it’s too much trouble I can take him to-”  
“No, no, I can make it work,” Krystal chuckled. “I’ll just take him to the office. As long as he doesn’t drool in my coffee I think it’ll be okay.”  
Amber smiled widely to her and blew her a hand-kiss.  
“You’re amazing, you know that, right?”   
Krystal chuckled.  
“Duh.”  
Amber laughed too and ran with her hand through her messy bed-hair. Krystal’s smile stayed on her face as she went on watching her.

After a while, she got up from the bed. With only wearing her lingerie and a shirt of her girlfriend’s, she immediately sought warmth by wrapping her arms around Amber’s waist. Amber, surprised by the sudden cuddle attack, dropped the thing she was holding. Krystal nuzzled her face in Amber’s neck, pressing feather light kisses on the sensitive skin. Amber chuckled and titled her head, so her neck was more accessible to Krystal’s kisses.  
“I know most girlfriends would say the opposite but… miss me a lot when I’m gone,” Krystal muttered in her ear. “I want you to miss me.”  
“Those three weeks will be unbearable. I already have trouble being without you for more than a day,” Amber sighed.  
“Miss me, then make it up to me afterwards.”  
Krystal pressed another kiss in her neck before Amber turned around in her arms, placing her hands on Krystal’s cheeks and softly caressing the skin with her thumbs. Amber bowed down and kissed her deeply. It was a kiss that made Krystal’s head spin and her heart beat faster making her feel like she was flying like only people who were deeply in love could feel.  
When Krystal bowed back to end the kiss, they stayed close together.  
“Is this our good-bye already?”  
Krystal smiled. She still had her eyes closed. Their foreheads leaned against each other.  
“I don’t think I’ll be able to drop you off at the airport. I’ll spontaneously buy a plane ticket to go with you.”  
Amber chuckled and opened her eyes. She kissed her forehead.  
“Then what about Jack Jack, he relies on you,” she smiled. Krystal opened her eyes too and rolled her eyes.

They shared one last kiss before Krystal started to get dressed. She took her time because she wanted to stay as long as she could with Amber. Still, she stayed with her decision not to take her to the airport because she knew she wouldn’t be able to control herself otherwise.  
As Amber packed the last few things she needed, Krystal showered, dried her hair, applied a thin layer of make-up and took her favorite dress she had taken from home on.  
As she slipped into her heels, Amber closed her bulging suitcase. She sighed and let herself fall onto the bed. Krystal watched her, leaning against the doorframe, smiling. She slowly walked towards the bed and sat down next to her.  
“Come on, get dressed. I’ll take you out for lunch.”  
Amber opened one of her eyes.  
“Only if we don’t go to such a fancy place you always like to go. Something cozy.”  
Krystal chuckled. The five-star places she liked to lunch at when Amber came to pick her up at work weren’t the places Amber liked to go. She still felt a little out of place in such restaurants, since most of the time she was either wearing a hoodie or a simple t-shirt and a snapback, whilst Krystal sometimes wore an outfit that was over 500 dollars. On weekends, Amber usually decided where they were going to eat and she preferred the tiny cozy cafés who were run by old, lovely women. Krystal loved the vibe and she immediately agreed.  
“Deal. Now get dressed.”

Amber’s idea of ‘getting dressed’ was a bit different from Krystal. She simply exchanged her shorts for skinny jeans, put on her sneakers and placed her hair underneath a cap. She couldn’t blame her though. Even Krystal didn’t dress up if she had a long plane flight: you simply wanted to get as comfortable as possible.  
They headed out to Amber’s favorite place, a tiny place called The Blooming Rose, run by an old acquaintance of the Liu family who actually was called Rose too. Amber had told her that she was a widow, because her husband died of cancer when he was about forty. She has raised all five of her children all by herself and still managed to get around. As soon as they were all living on their own, she had opened The Blooming Rose, mainly to keep herself busy.  
The café could only house about 20 people. Rose did the waiting and cooking all by herself. The best thing was that whenever it was a busy day, the clients didn’t even get angry. They were really polite to Rose and waited on their turn, in the meantime chatting happily.

They had lunched there before, so Rose greeted them happily when they stepped in. She already knew Amber’s name and welcomed Krystal by asking her ‘how Amber’s girlfriend was doing’.  
“I don’t think I ever mentioned to her that I’m your girlfriend?” Krystal wondered, as soon as they sat down at their usual table, close to the window. Amber chuckled awkwardly and avoided her gaze. Krystal squinted her eyes suspiciously.  
“I might have mentioned something…”  
Krystal crossed her arms in front of her body and sighed.  
“What did you tell her?”  
“Well, I sort of come here often for coffee, if I have to go somewhere for a meeting or something. She kind of asked me if I would bring over ‘my friend’ again and I told her you were my girlfriend instead,” Amber quietly admitted. Krystal rolled her eyes.  
“How did she take it?”  
Her girlfriend’s eyes lighted up.  
“Very open-minded, it surprised me! ‘As long as you’re happy and in love, I don’t think any kind of love could be wrong’, she was so sweet. She said she was happy for us and that she liked to see us around more often.”  
Krystal nodded and ran with her hand through her hair, letting out a relieved sigh. She still is a little bit tense when it comes to coming out to strangers. Amber was open with her sexuality since she was sixteen, and had used it in college to get a lot of girls. Krystal only started now to be proud of who she was and she still worried a bit about what other people were going to think of her. Especially the older generation was more judgmental towards the newer generation. They were brought up thinking that homosexuality was something wrong, something to be ashamed of, something you could cure, whilst nowadays people simply thought differently. But if you have been living your entire life thinking that homosexuality was a sin, then it was difficult to suddenly change opinions.  
Perhaps Rose was not brought up so strictly religious or perhaps she had found out on her own that homosexuality isn’t a sin and she is really open-minded, either way, Krystal is glad she was able to accept them. It always settled her heart to know that one more person was on their side.

They ate their lunch – Amber had a hamburger and Krystal a wrap – and afterwards they walked back home. Krystal’s car was still there and Amber would take a cab to the airport.  
“So, you’re really not going to drop me off?” she asked, as they entered the apartment again. As Amber took her suitcase to the hall, Krystal packed her stuff she had left here and there during the course of the night – like her charger and brush.  
“If you want me to come to Korea then I’ll be dropping you off but otherwise I prefer going home,” she chuckled.  
“What if I want you to come?” Amber asked.  
“I can’t, not right now,” she sighed. “You know I’m-”  
Amber sighed and waved her words away with a single move of her hand.  
“I know, I know. Couldn’t help to ask though,” she chuckled. “I would love to show you Seoul, though. It’s an amazing city.”  
“Let’s go on our honeymoon there,” Krystal jokingly said. And even though she said it with a chuckle, Amber jerked her head up in surprise. For a moment, all they could do was stare at each other, as Krystal’s grin slowly faded from her face. Amber let out a nervous chuckle.  
“Honeymoon? You’re already thinking about that?” she said, as she looked away. Krystal realized her mistake and even though it hadn’t been her intention to bring it up like that, she still was ashamed of herself.  
In fact, she hadn’t thought about marrying Amber just yet. A few months ago, same sex marriage was legalized in the United States, but the idea of being able to even marry Amber hadn’t settled in her mind yet.  
But perhaps she had been unconsciously thinking about it, she wondered. What she had thought about was moving in together. Even though they were only dating for half a year again, it felt like they had for years and she knew that Amber would be the only one for her. Moving in would be something good to start with.  
But she had moved in together with Kai the moment he had asked her to marry him. Perhaps she linked marriage with living together and had her mind tricked her into thinking about marriage in another way?  
“I-I’m sorry,” she stuttered.  
“For what? Don’t you think it has never crossed my mind?”  
Krystal looked up in surprise.  
“What?”  
Amber laughed uncomfortably and scratched the back of her neck.  
“Doesn’t everyone think about that once in a while? Especially after all we’ve been through.”  
“I never thought of marrying Kai until he asked me to..” Krystal said softly. Amber frowned her eyebrows. They looked at each other, with a knowing gaze. Then Krystal turned around and pressed her lips hard upon each other, having already revealed too much.

They didn’t say much after that, both of their heads filled with the fantasies what could be.  
Krystal called for a cab soon after that, hoping to try and clear her buzzing mind and get rid of the guilt in her stomach. As soon as she had ended the call, it suddenly felt very final that Amber was going, and she didn’t like one bit of it.

Twenty minutes later the cab arrived. They had managed to get Amber’s incredibly heavy suitcase down from her apartment and into the lobby. The moment the yellow cab stopped in front of the building, Amber stepped outside to talk to the driver. Krystal followed her, but didn’t join the conversation. She kept her distance and watched her girlfriend longingly. Eventually, the driver nodded, took the suitcase and put it in the trunk. Amber walked back to her and grabbed her hand, taking her back inside.  
“Go and catch your plane,” Krystal said, smiling sourly. She couldn’t pretend well that she was glad for Amber that she was able to work on her album in Korea. Sure, her songs would be listened to by millions of people but still… she didn’t want her to leave. And perhaps that was really selfish to think, but she couldn’t help herself.  
“Yeah, I will. The meter is running already but I don’t mind paying a few extra dollars if I can say goodbye to you.”  
Spontaneously, Amber pulled her closer, wrapping her arms around her waist and pressing her lips onto hers. It took Krystal, who was overwhelmed by the suddenness, a few seconds to place her arms on her shoulders, but eventually her eyes fell shut.  
The kiss wasn’t as tender and loving as the last few kisses they had shared, when their sadness had influenced actions, turning them softer. It was a bit sloppy, full of need for the other. It never took them long to adjust to each other, but even then, their teeth clinked together every now and then. Amber was just a tad smaller than she was, now she wore her heels, and she felt her lips push upwards, wanting to kiss deepen the kiss, wanting to taste more of Krystal. And even though Krystal was supposed to be the bigger one now – that small voice in her head told her to stop and bow back because it was only going to be harder to say goodbye – but she couldn’t set herself to it. It didn’t happen that Amber was so needy. Needy in another way, perhaps, but never like this.  
They kissed each other like they were never going to see each other again.

When they let each other go and they opened their eyes again, Amber’s lips were swollen and slightly pinker than they had been before the kiss. They were panting and both were a bit confused about their sudden need for each other. Krystal bowed down to hug her and wrapped her arms around Amber’s waist again. Amber did the same, letting out a sigh.  
“I’ll miss you…” the other woman muttered.  
“I know,” Krystal answered. For a moment, there was a silence, in which they could both hear their own deep breaths.  
“Are you not going to say it back?”  
“I’ll miss you too,” Krystal said softly. Amber chuckled.  
“I know.”  
“Then why did you want me to say it?” she asked.  
“I just wanted to hear you say it.”  
Krystal bowed back, just to roll her eyes at her girlfriend. Amber grinned.  
They heard the car honk outside. The driver ticked annoyed on his watch. Both of the women chuckled softly, suddenly very embarrassed about their burst of lust just a few seconds ago.  
“Tell Luna I said hi,” Krystal smiled. Amber smiled back to her and nodded.  
“Take care of Jack Jack for me, okay?”  
“Of course.”  
Amber quickly pecked her cheek one last time, before she turned around and ran back to the car. She opened the door and sat down on the back seat. The driver immediately started the car and rushed away. Krystal could just lift her hand to wave at her before she was gone.

A feeling of emptiness rushed over her.


	32. Chapter thirty-one

In the weeks that followed, Krystal felt like a walking zombie. Not only because Amber was in Korea right now – and the only thing she had that reminded her of her girlfriend was her dog, Jack Jack, sleeping on her leather couch in her office and her daily trip to feed Tuna, the cat – but also because her plan currently required a few days of nothing.  
Now that Victoria had officially broken the contract with Jung Internationals, Krystal couldn’t immediately ask Jackie and Amy to sign out as well. It would be suspicious and even though the Board would suspect Victoria Song, it was still too soon. The employees at first needed to hear the rumor of Song Software pulling back on the deal. It would be enough to make them doubt but it would need to take some time for everyone to hear the rumor.  
Which left Krystal clueless and without direction in life. She wouldn’t usually mind going home, even if it was late after a tiring day, but now her apartment seemed so empty. Jack Jack often came home with her, just so she had something to hold onto. The little dog didn’t seem to mind; he missed her too.  
At night, Krystal would let Jack Jack sleep with her in bed. She had to admit that she would have never done that if Amber were lying next to her – nothing was as much a romance-killer as a smelly dog butt up your face – but right now she just missed her and Jack Jack was comforting her a little bit.  
During the day, she took him with her to work. Suddenly, Krystal was one of the most popular employees. Flocks of women followed her around, just to pet the little animal on its head. He was fed more sausage than he would ever get with Amber in his lifetime in those few weeks. The tiny animal probably gained a few pounds but since it was comfort food, Krystal just let him eat.  
Her father and the Board weren’t exactly thrilled that she took a dog to work. They hadn’t asked why and Krystal didn’t intend to tell them. If she told them she was pet sitting Amber’s dog, it would only get worse and since they weren’t bothered enough by it to send her more than annoyed looks, she kept her mouth shut. And it wasn’t like Jack Jack was misbehaving either. Whenever they were in her office, he just curled up on the couch and slept. Whenever she had a client coming over, they looked confusedly to the little dog – which had a habit of barking in his sleep – but they all gave him a little pet on their way out.  
Tuna, on the other hand, seemed to be okay alone. Whenever Krystal came in at night to give her food and fresh water, she miauwed to her with a tone that sounded almost annoying, as if she was not fond of Krystal interrupting the silence that had appeared in the apartment that was otherwise filled with dog barks and piano plays.

Amber had promised that they’d FaceTime every day. In reality, Face Timing with your girlfriend who was currently at the other end of the world was more complicated than they had thought. There was a huge time difference between the West Coast of the US and South Korea.  
There was a difference of 13 hours and it was a hell of a job to find the right time to see each other. Eventually they decided to call each other around 7 AM US time and 8 PM KR time. Amber would be done with work for that day and Krystal would wake up for work. On weekends, they shifted the times a little, so Krystal could sleep a few hours extra. Amber was a late-night kind of girl and didn’t mind staying up for her. Whether she called her at 8 PM or 11 PM, it was all the same.  
The first time they had called each other, Amber had immediately started laughing. Krystal had set her alarm at 6:45 AM so she wouldn’t miss the call, but that didn’t mean that she looked ready-for-work already. Her hair was messy and she could barely open her eyes. It wasn’t like Amber looked like she could attend a fashion show as well, but the other girl was at least dressed and Amber had this natural look over her that she didn’t even need to try to be good-looking. Even if her hair was messy and there were dark circles underneath her eyes, she was still handsome. Her smug smile, those twinkling, deep eyes and sharp jawline were enough to make a girl swoon.

Their calls would last from a quarter to more than an hour. Krystal would take her phone with her everywhere in her apartment. She didn’t even mind to put it off when she was doing her hair or changed her clothes. It wasn’t like Amber hadn’t seen it all before and often Amber was doing her own thing too. Knowing that the other was close was enough for them.  
Krystal was known with business trips, but Amber was really being overworked. She often had to go on until late at night to get everything right for the company she was working for and it almost seemed like they didn’t let her rest. She knew that these things were essential in the life of a composer but that didn’t mean she liked it that she was completely drained.  
Amber had assured her that once she got home that she would have time to sleep again but she just had to work hard these couple of days. Krystal couldn’t find peace with it. But she wasn’t allowed to complain about Amber’s situation: she made killer days too, especially now that she had nothing to look forward to in the evening.

Those three weeks were killing her but eventually she got through them, like she got through everything. After all, she was a hard nut to crack.  
Krystal was going for a surprise visit at the airport on the day Amber would land. The week before, Amber had reminded her constantly that she would come home at Thursday morning, at 11:54 AM precise. After those three weeks, she was aching to see her again and she knew that Amber felt the same. Precisely because of that, she had told her that she actually wasn’t able to come. Thursday was a normal day and she was expected at the office, especially now that the Board was still struggling with hushing up the fact that Victoria had broken her contract with Jung Internationals. The media was thirsting for scandals and was keeping an eye on them. She was making an excuse that it was very busy at work because of Victoria’s leaving and that she really couldn’t leave right now. The sadness in Amber’s voice when she had said ‘Oh.. okay’ had broken her heart. The only thing that kept her from admitting she would come anyway was the thought of Amber’s huge grin when she would see her at the airport.

In fact, Krystal could go where she wanted because she was her father’s VP. She had quickly discussed it that she needed to pick up Amber from the airport around 12 o’clock and he had given his permission before he could hear more.  
“Just go. Make sure you don’t stay away too long. If any of the others ask, tell them you’re visiting Ms. Song again to ask her if she wouldn’t come back.”   
Her father knew her well enough to know that even if he had said no, she would’ve gone anyway. Better to grant his daughter this small privilege that came with being family of the CEO and let her come back as soon as possible after that.  
Krystal had pecked her father’s cheek as soon as he gave her permission. Her father just ‘hmmpf’-ed and waved her off.

Krystal left the office around 10:30. It was an hour drive to the airport and she still wanted to buy some roses to give to Amber as soon as they saw each other again. Usually it was Amber who was the hopeless romantic but she couldn’t help it. She was just too excited to see her again and the way her girlfriend’s face would light up as soon as she saw the flowers would be the best.  
Krystal was at the airport half an hour early. She visited the little flower shop in the entrance hall and she made the seller pick out their best flowers for the bouquet. It was a mix of red roses in the middle, with a bunch of white ones surrounding them. Satisfied, she took the bouquet from the seller and paid for the flowers with her company card – doesn’t everyone profit from their company’s credit card once in a while? – and took off towards the luggage pick-up.  
Her watch told her that Amber’s plane had just landed and she couldn’t be more excited. She was rocking forth and backwards on her heels, like a little kid. Wasn’t she allowed to be? It had been long since she had felt so thrilled to see someone. With the flowers in her hand, she waited at the exit hall, waiting for the passengers of flight UAL892 to stream into the hall. It took another half an hour before there were actually people emerging from the luggage pick-up. Relatives, who had been waiting alongside Krystal, ran towards their missed family member and hugged them. Cheers and laughter filled the hall as more and more people emerged. But Amber was nowhere to be found.  
There was no reason to worry though. Even if you were one of the first to leave the plane, you still had to wait for your luggage and if it happened that your suitcase was stuffed all the way in the far back of the plane, it would most likely come out last.  
But the more people came out, the more unsettled Krystal grew. Eventually the large amount of people also slinked to a small number, often loners who had no family waiting for them. And eventually it seemed like no one come out anymore.  
Krystal walked back towards the large screens displaying the flights and Amber’s had already disappeared from the screen. Another one had landed already. With a sigh, she lowered her bouquet. She was about to check her phone when she saw the exit doors open once more in the corner of her eyes. Krystal unlocked her phone but there were no messages of Amber, not even any missed calls. She sighed, put her phone away and looked up.  
A grin appeared on her face.  
“Ma’am!” she exclaimed loudly, as she started to half run-half walk towards the woman who had just left the exit. She didn’t look up, probably due to the fact that she had her earbuds in.  
“Ma’am, you forgot something!” she called, this time louder. With a grim, half-annoyed expression on her face, Amber turned around. Krystal laughed, running now, almost throwing her flowers away in her hurry. Her girlfriend’s face lit up and a confused, surprised expression appeared on her face.  
“Krysta-” she started, but her voice got cut off when Krystal launched herself at her and pulled her into a tight hug. Both girls were grinning and laughing, gripping at the other’s body tightly so they wouldn’t leave anymore.  
“You forgot me,” Krystal muttered softly.  
“I’d never forget you,” Amber chuckled, but Krystal didn’t fail to notice the deep meaning in those words. She knew Amber meant them.  
They kissed, albeit quick, since they were still in a crowded airport. And even though Krystal was getting used to showing her love for her girlfriend more, kissing in crowded places was still a lot for her to handle. Amber knew; she’d keep all the excited kisses reserved for when they’d get home.  
“But I thought you wouldn’t come,” the other woman muttered after they had bowed back. Krystal chuckled when she started to pout.  
“I’m the Vice-President of Jung Internationals, I can do whatever I want. Of course, I’d come and pick you up, dummy. I just wanted to see that adorable look on your face.”  
Amber rolled her eyes and ran with her hand through her hair, softly shaking her head afterwards.  
“You’re evil, Krystal Jung, simply evil to make me think that you wouldn’t come.”   
Krystal grinned, pressed a kiss on her cheek and was about to reach down to grab her hand when she felt how rough Amber’s wrists actually were. Curiously, she let her fingers run over the place, not being used to Amber’s hands not being incredibly soft. But the moment she pressed a little harder, Amber hissed and took her arm back.  
“What’s that?” Krystal asked worriedly. “Did you fall? It felt like a healing wound or something like that-”  
Amber shook her head, but didn’t let her arm fall back to her side.  
“It’s not that... just a new tattoo but it’s still sensitive, please don’t press on it,” she said quickly. Krystal looked at her with wide eyes.  
She knew that Amber had tattoos and at that one point in her life she must have let someone place them but she hadn’t yet experienced that Amber had a new one. Eight years ago, she had had tattoos as well, but a lot less than she had right now. Krystal had always been fine with her tattoos – finds them sexy even – but to see her get a new one so abruptly was kind of shocking. Perhaps it was because she thought that Amber might be discussing getting new body decorations with her since they were in a relationship now or perhaps she just wanted to have a say in what kind of things she tattooed on her body – for example, she wasn’t exactly that fond of the Charmander on her upper arm but despite that she had always supported her.  
Her face fell, although she tried to hide it.  
“Oh,” she muttered. “Well, what is it?”  
Amber looked at her with a doubtful expression, sighed and eventually lifted her arm. Krystal took it and rolled up her sleeve, to look at it more.  
“The only thing I see is a rubber band-” she started, “-this is not a tattoo but a-… Oh… wait…”  
Amber stopped walking and put down her suitcase, so Krystal could take her time to admire the small, curly handwriting that was written all over her girlfriend’s wrist. It was designed like a bracelet, going all the way around, showing her name, again and again. Every time in the same swirly handwriting that looked like it came from the Victorian Age. In awe, she stared at her name, embedded in Amber’s skin. She was speechless.  
“I didn’t tell you because it was supposed to be a surprise but I could have known that you’d find out the moment we’d meet again,” Amber chuckled softly. “But don’t poke, it’s still healing.”  
Krystal shakily breathed in and out as she let Amber’s arm go. She noticed her girlfriend looking at her from the corners of her eyes but she kept her mouth shut.  
Instead, she just took Amber's hand again and intertwined their fingers. She took one of Amber's suitcases in her hand and started walking again.  
"Do tattoos hurt?" she asked her. Amber rose her eyebrows.  
"Depends on the size, the place and whether you want color."  
"Say I want one in my neck, just underneath my hairline. A small one, just a few letters, would that hurt a lot?"  
Amber frowned.  
"It's a sensitive spot but if it's a small one, you will be done in a quarter, I suppose. It won't hurt long, at least. Why?" she speculated, shooting Krystal a curious gaze.  
Krystal tried to contain her smile.  
"I want your name there."  
Amber immediately stopped walking and looked at her in horror.  
“You don’t understand,” she started, causing the other woman to lift her eyebrows skeptically, “-you need to think of this carefully. A tattoo is not something you can simply erase and even if you do, it’ll be incredibly painful and it’ll leave a scar. It’s with you for life and well.. what if… what if we break up? You’ll walk with my name in your neck, doesn’t that bother you?”  
Krystal simply chuckled.  
“Well, you didn’t think of I thoroughly then either, did you? You just tattooed my name on your wrist. If we break up then you’ll have the same problem, idiot.”  
“But that’s different,” Amber muttered softly. “I have never forgotten you after we broke up the first time. I don’t think I’ll be able to get in a romantic relationship with someone who isn’t you. Even if we break up, you’ll always be a part of me. I won’t regret my tattoo but you might regret yours.”  
The moment she stopped talking, Amber seemed to realize she had said something incredibly wrong. Krystal put her hands on her hips and stared at her girlfriend in annoyance. So what? What Amber allowed to get a tattoo of her name but she wasn’t allowed to get a tattoo of hers? Bullshit, she was going to do it no matter what.  
“What makes you think I’ll regret my tattoo, even if it’s my first one?” she growled. Amber didn’t look at her when she answered.  
“You forgot me in those eight years. But there hasn’t passed a day in which I didn’t think of you. If we break up, you’ll forget me again.”  
Krystal shook her head in disbelief. For a moment, she didn’t even know what to say. What had come out of Amber’s mouth was simply so stupid that there was no way she could seriously respond to this.  
“I never forgot you either. But I pushed you away because it was what was best that time. But if you think I have ever enjoyed myself with Kai or somebody else like I have with you, then you’re greatly mistaken,” she hissed. “And I’m going to get that tattoo, whether you like it or not. My father gave me a few hours to pick you up so I’m going to get it right freaking now otherwise I’ll lose my courage. And you can either come with me or stay here – I don’t care – but I’m going to get that tattoo no matter what.”  
When she was done, she let Amber’s hand go and spun around on her heels. Krystal walked towards the exit with furious, large steps and didn’t care to slow down for her girlfriend. It took only a few seconds before she heard a deep sigh and footsteps behind her. Amber followed her through the airport back to Krystal’s car, albeit struggling with the flowers and her two suitcases. Krystal didn’t slow down her speed nor tried to help her.

As soon as they had reached the car, Krystal unlocked it and sat down behind the wheel. She took her phone and googled for the closest tattoo shop, typing in the address in her navigator a minute later. Amber had opened the trunk and was putting her suitcases there. She laid the flowers on the backseat and eventually sat down next to her. She sighed deeply and ran with her hand through her hair.  
“Since when did my girlfriend get so stubborn,” she muttered. Krystal shot her an angry glance.  
“I always was, just like you,” she said coldly. “I suppose we’re going home?”  
Amber’s eyes fell on the address typed into the navigator and she shook her head.  
“If you’re going to get that tattoo, I’ll be coming with you so I know you’ll choose at least a good tattoo artist. You won’t get one at this shitty shop right here,” she said, as she pointed towards the address on the small screen. “I’ll take you to the shop I get my tattoos from.”  
Amber signed that they should switch seats, making Krystal sigh. Both women got out of the car so Amber could sit down behind the wheel. It took them a few minutes to leave the parking lot and get on the highway

Half an hour later they arrived at Amber’s tattoo shop. Now that she had made up her mind about getting a tattoo, it kind of scared her to really get one. She had never been a fan of needles or pain so getting a tattoo in a sensitive spot wasn’t ideal. Still though, she wanted it very badly, right now more than she wanted anything else. It felt like she was going to carry a part of Amber everywhere she went. And she already did that in her heart, but now it felt final, like an actual something you could touch. Even if it was in her neck, just below her hairline, it would remind her that Amber would always be close, even if they each lived on another continent.  
That didn’t take away the nerves though.

The shop looked pretty decent from the outside. There was a large window that viewed the empty lobby. Above the door, large white letters displayed the name of the shop: Ink-redible Tattoos.  
“Ready?” Amber asked her. Krystal noticed that she had her jaw tensed but nodded nevertheless.  
“Of course. I was born ready,” she said stiffly, as she entered the tattoo shop. She heard Amber chuckle. When her girlfriend grabbed her hand and intertwined her fingers, she didn’t pull back her hand, glad to find some comfort.  
The shop was empty, which didn’t surprise her at all. It was around 2 o’clock on a normal work day. Nevertheless, soft music was played from the speakers that hung at the ceiling and she heard someone softly hum along to the melody at the back of the shop.  
“Yo, Dave!” Amber called. Immediately, the humming stopped. They heard some rumbling that sounded a lot like metal clattering against metal and eventually footsteps. A large man, probably a head or two taller than both of them, appeared around the corner. His hair was long and put in a bun. He had some scruff on his face, probably a day or two old, and his eyes were blue and twinkling like stars. He wore a black t-shirt and a leather jacket that accentuated his huge biceps. From the back of his neck, Krystal saw tattoos curling up. Despite his size, he didn’t look threatening at all. Rather like a cuddly, large teddy-bear.  
When he noticed who had called him, he started to grin widely.  
“Amber!” he called out, in a voice that was able to create earthquakes – low and rumbling. “Long time no see, mate. It has been a while, hasn’t it?”  
To her surprise, his accent was British. London-British, if she was correct. He had this special way of making the ‘h’ in a word silent.  
Amber grinned as well. She gave Dave a quick bro-hug, which looked rather weird, seeing such a small woman hug a man of that size.  
“Sorry man, I’ve been drowning in work lately. Just returned from my flight to Korea,” she sighed.  
“Doesn’t matter at all, my friend. I hope you’re doing fine though?” Dave asked her. Amber nodded and smiled.  
“Of course!”  
Dave smiled. His gaze lingered on Amber for a second but he then turned to Krystal, letting his eyes glide over her body, as if he was trying to remember who she was. His blue eyes didn’t make her nervous, but she had the urge to cover her body with her hands nevertheless. Eventually, a frown appeared on his face.  
“Don’t believe you’ve ever been here, missy. Ya don’t seem like the person who comes here often either. I’m Dave McGrior – to your service – and I run this little establishment here.”  
He stuck out his hand towards her and Krystal took it, shaking it for a moment. His grip was firm, but softened when he noticed she wasn’t that strong.  
“I indeed have never been here,” she admitted, a bit uncomfortably. “I am-”  
“She’s my girlfriend, Krystal, the girl I told you about,” Amber interrupted. “She liked to get her first tattoo.”  
Krystal poked the other woman hard in her ribcage with her elbow, causing Amber to moan for a moment but that didn’t prevent Dave’s face from lighting up. For a split second, he looked like a child who was just told by its mother that it was allowed to pick out two candies to take home, instead of one. Dave grinned like crazy.  
“You told me you had met someone special but I wouldn’t reckon I’d ever meet the lucky lady! Last time we met you told me it was complicated but look where you are now! All happy holding her hand!” he laughed. “Let’s get that tattoo set, anything for Amber’s girlfriend, of course.”

Dave took them backwards into the shop where there were three large, black leather chairs, ones that looked like the ones you had to lay in when you went to the dentist. There was another stool next to it so the tattoo artist could sit too. On the wall hung pictures of people who had gotten their tattoos at the shop.  
“Did he tattoo you?” she asked Amber, when Dave had walked off to get his stuff. Amber nodded and grinned.  
“He did my whole arm basically, besides the new one. I got that one in Korea, together with a few smaller ones. But I let him do the more important tats,” she explained. Amber walked towards the wall and took off one of the pictures, showing it to her. Krystal took the picture from her and looked at her favorite tattoo of Amber’s: the boat surrounded by clouds and smoke and a moon. It was aesthetic and incredibly beautiful. Together with the one puppet behind her ear, it was the tattoo she liked best. The fact that Dave had tattooed this on her reassured her a little bit.  
Dave came back with his equipment, sitting down on the stool next to the large chair. He tapped on the leather with his hand, signing that Krystal should sit down. She gulped audibly and sat down, suddenly feeling very nervous now that she was able to lay her eyes on the tattoo gun. It looked like it could pierce right through her body.  
“So, tell me, Krystal, what did you have in mind?” Dave asked her. Krystal explained her idea to him, how she wanted Amber’s name – in the same curly style of her own name on Amber’s skin – in her neck, just underneath her hairline. It shouldn’t be too big, just a few centimeters long. Tiny and refined, not too noticeable but still present.  
Dave started to glow again when he listened to her story, nodding sometimes and humming in agreement.  
“You have a special girlfriend, Amber,” he said, when she was done, giving them both a wink. “I would have expected Amber to tattoo your name on her arm – she basically tattoos everything on her arm, am I right? – but it’s rather special that both partners get a tattoo of the other, especially if they’re not married yet. And from what I have heard, you two aren’t dating that long.”  
Krystal and Amber exchanged a glance. Amber smiled shyly and looked down, causing Krystal’s cheeks to slightly change color. She cleared her throat, feeling she needed to speak up.  
“We don’t have to marry for us to know that we want to stay together for the rest of our lives,” she said, making Amber look up in surprise again. Dave grinned.  
“That’s the spirit, real soulmates right there,” he said happily. “Let me just make a quick sketch of the tattoo before we start.”  
Dave stood up to get a pencil and some paper, leaving the two girls alone. Krystal sat down on the chair.  
“Did you mean that?” Amber asked her quietly. Krystal looked up and nodded.  
“Yes. Otherwise I would never tattoo your name in my neck,” she chuckled softly. Amber shrugged.  
“People do weird things when they’re in love,” she said neutrally, as if she was stating a fact. “And right now you’d burn down your own company partly for me so I know what you’re capable of.”  
Krystal rolled her eyes.  
“I’m getting that tattoo, Amber, I’ve made up my mind, whether you like it or not.”  
Her girlfriend lowered her face until it was on the same level as Krystal’s, closing the distance between their lips quickly. Krystal already opened her mouth slightly, holding in her breaths, but Amber would not close those last few inches for a kiss.  
“I do not like it because I think you should have thought of it more thoroughly… But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find it incredibly sexy that you’re going to carry my name from now on in your neck,” she added in a low whisper. Krystal’s mouth grew dry.  
“Save that for later when I get off of work,” she muttered. She tried to tear her eyes away from those deep brown orbs, but her gaze was glued to them. Amber chuckled and bowed back.  
“Didn’t you say you’d have a few hours? The tattoo will only take a quarter… half an hour if Dave wants to have a chat afterwards. We’d have enough time to-”  
“Shut up,” Krystal hissed, as she tired to control her burning cheeks. Amber simply grinned and shrugged.

Dave returned with the sketch of Krystal’s tattoo and handed it over to them. She took it and started to smile immediately; it was exactly as she had pictured it. Amber nodded in approval too.  
“Looks good, Davy,” she muttered, as she gave the drawing back to her friend. Dave grinned in response before he turned to Krystal.  
“Where do you want me to draw it, dear? Arm, leg, shoulder, ankle, wrist-”  
“My neck, please,” she replied. “I want it just underneath my hairline.”  
Dave smiled and nodded.  
“Sure thing.”  
He made sure the leather chair she was sitting on changed from position, so it functioned as a bed instead of a chair. There was a hole and some extra pillows for her head to rest upon.  
“Just lay down and relax. The more you tense up, the more you’re gonna feel it. Amber knows what I mean. Just talk to each other,” Dave said. The nauseous-making sound of the tattoo gun that was switched on entered her ears. With her lower lip caught between her lip she inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, pressing her eyes shut and trying to relax. It was hard when the ringing of the tattoo gun was so close to her ear, but she tried to nevertheless.  
“I’ll just brush away some of your hair now,” Dave said. “Can’t tattoo yah with those gorgeous locks falling down your back, now, can I?”  
She felt Dave’s hand in her neck. Her chest rose sharper with every passing breath.  
“Hold my hand,” she muttered in a choked voice. Immediately, Amber’s hand curled around hers and pinched it reassuringly.  
“It will be fine.”  
“I know, don’t say that,” Krystal barked, causing Dave to chuckle softly.  
“Want me to count down, sweetie?” he asked her nicely.  
“No, just do it.”  
Krystal grunted when she felt an unpleasant pain spread through her neck. She pinched in Amber’s hand and she pinched back, giving Krystal something to hold onto. She gritted her teeth together. Even though it was very unpleasant – probably due to the soft, sensitive skin – it wasn’t that bothersome that she wanted it to stop. At least, Amber had promised her it would take less than a quarter, so she believed her and endured it. She felt the tattoo gun slide over the back of her neck and she tried to make out the letters of Amber’s name, albeit hard because she had a hard time concentrating.  
In the meantime, Dave asked them how they had met together. His experience with new clients had probably taught him that talking to them made it a lot easier. Only Krystal wasn’t an easy talker, which meant Amber did all of the work whilst she was still undergoing the pain. Nevertheless, it was satisfying to listen to her girlfriend tell Dave how they had met, going back all the way to when they were still hopeless, hormonal teenagers. Now that she thought of it, wasn’t it kind of romantic how they had basically waited all of their lives to be together? Amber had never fallen out of love with her and had never gotten in another relationship after her. Krystal had been forced to get in a relationship with Kai but she had not loved him. She had called off her wedding and provoked her father for Amber’s sake, because she knew that Amber brought the best up in her. And now they were finally together. The only thing they needed to do now was get the company, then everything would be perfect. Dave listened in awe, huffing or humming at the exact right time.

Ten minutes later, the annoying buzzing of the tattoo gun was finally shut off, and the pain reduced to a minimum. There was still a faint stinging left, but she guessed it would stay for a while. Dave had cleaned the area and put a Band-Aid on the freshly set tattoo.  
“You got to leave it on for about 2 to 8 hours. Do not leave it on for longer because bodily fluids will probably mess up my piece of art,” Dave instructed. “Better not to take swim in an ocean or swimming pool or whatsoever this week, because the chemicals will not do it much good. I suggest that you put your hair up, since it can get stuck to your new decoration as well. The redness will disappear later on this week, I suppose. If it keeps hurting or stays very red and sensitive, please come back. Don’t wait and come back, but I think Amber will keep an eye out for yah.”  
Krystal nodded solemnly, already knowing that Amber was going to be the one fuzzing about her tattoo more than she was going to. She put her hair up in a ponytail after that, because it indeed felt a bit uncomfortable to have her hair touching the oversensitive skin all the time.  
“How much will it be?” asked Krystal, already taking out her wallet of her purse, but Dave immediately waved it away.  
“Everything for Amber’s girlfriend. It’s all for free, don’t worry about it,” he grinned. “Come back anytime, the door is always open for you.”  
Krystal smiled timidly and nodded stiffly. Because of her upbringing, acts out of kindness like this one made her a tad uneasy. Her father had taught her for years that everything came with a price, especially for women. Paying for a good was something she viewed as right. She had never seen her father act out of the kindness of his heart and it’s very difficult for her to do something like that for people who are not her significant others as well.  
“I trust you that you’ll look after her, let me know if there’s anything wrong,” he said to Amber, who nodded.

They thanked Dave another time and eventually walked back towards the car. As soon as they set a step outside of Ink-redible Tattoo, Amber turned to her.  
“And, what do you think? About the whole tattoo thing,” she asked enthusiastly. Krystal smiled at her eagerness.  
“I think that I would never want to get so many as you, because I simply would not be able to handle it,” she laughed. “One is enough.”  
Amber laughed.  
“You immediately chose a painful spot for your first tattoo. Getting a tattoo placed on your arm is much less painful,” she said. “But I agree. One is enough.”  
Krystal lifted her eyebrows.  
“Am I not allowed to get any more?” she asked whilst she squinted her eyes.  
“Of course you are. As long as you keep tattooing my name, you can have an infinite number of tattoos.”  
Krystal rolled her eyes and chuckled. They got back into the car. The vehicle came back to life and greeted them softly by getting the engine to purr.  
“I’ll take you home and then I’ll have to get back to work,” she announced. Amber nodded slowly.  
“So, you won’t stay?” she asked softly. Krystal looked at her for a moment and shook her head.  
“No, why would I? Dad expects me back soon,” she replied, as she steered the car out of the parking place and onto the road. Amber shrugged and looked out of the window.  
“I thought you might.”  
Krystal frowned and speeded up. It took her a moment to understand why, but as soon as she had made the connection, she started to grin.  
“Please don’t tell me you’re horny.”  
“IT’S BEEN THREE WEEKS, OF COURSE I AM HORNY!” Amber bellowed in despair. Krystal started to laugh. She had to wrap her hand in front of her mouth to prevent herself from snorting.  
“You’re incredible, that you can even think of sex right now,” she laughed. Amber grunted and muttered something from under her breath, that sounded a lot like ‘Fuck’.  
“Shut up,” she muttered annoyedly. “How come you are not?”  
“I am. Or at least, I would definitely not mind having sex right now but I have this certain amount of self-control, so I can turn it off and go back to work,” she chuckled. Amber raised her eyebrows.  
“Are you saying that I have no self-control?”  
“Exactly.”  
Amber sighed and wrapped her arms in front of her chest, looking out of the window. It wasn't until they got home until Amber spoke again. Krystal had found the annoyed silence between them rather funny, knowing that it was nothing more than sexual frustration that had built up for three weeks straight. She hadn't lied when she had said that Amber had literally zero self-control. She was the kind of person who lived in the moment and liked to get directly satisfied when she felt like it.  
That was partly the reason why Krystal had fallen in love with her, despite being completely opposite of character. And exactly because she was able to control herself a few hours more, she denied Amber her pleasure right now and made her wait. If she managed to wait a few hours until Krystal got home from work, the sex would be so much better. But she wasn't going to tell Amber that.

Krystal helped Amber to carry the suitcases upstairs. As soon as they entered the apartment, loud miauwing sounded from behind the couch. Amber frowned.  
“Where’s Jack Jack?” she asked, clearly a bit disappointed that the tiny dog hadn’t immediately ran towards her to lick her hand.  
“He’s at my place. He was asleep when I left so I let him be. I’ll bring him over tonight,” she answered, as she carried the suitcase towards the bedroom.  
Amber followed her. Krystal put the case down and suddenly felt two arms around her waist, embracing her tightly in a hug. Amber laid her chin on her shoulder and moved her lips to her neck, pressing soft kisses on the still sensitive skin. Krystal cocked her head, causing her to grimace a little in pain due to the still fresh tattoo.  
“You really don’t want to stay? Your father can wait another hour or so..” her girlfriend muttered, letting her lips trail from her ear ‘till her collarbone. Krystal sighed and closed her eyes. It took a lot of control to turn around in her arms and take her face in her hands.  
“Tonight, I promise,” she said. “Go get some rest. I don’t even think you’ll last for more than a quarter now.”  
Amber sighed and rolled her eyes, immediately shaking Krystal off. The brunette simply laughed.  
A few minutes later she heard the shower run. It would probably be ice cold.

She went back off to work and left Amber alone. A few more hours later she returned together with the little dog by her side. They found Amber passed out in her bed, arms and legs sprawled wide and her mouth a little open. She snored softly and even though Jack Jack immediately jumped on the bed, barking and licking, she wouldn’t wake up. Krystal looked at her for a long time, a smile plastered on her face.  
Eventually, she changed her clothes – there was always a spare set of pyjamas for her for if she wanted to stay over unexpectedly – and crawled under the sheets next to her girlfriend. And for once, she let Jack Jack sleep in between of them. The tiny dog gave her a lick over her cheek as some sort of good-night kiss before it curled itself up, with his head close to Amber’s. A dog butt was shoved into her face, but Krystal bore with it for one night.


	33. Chapter thirty-two

With Amber safely at home, Krystal was finally able to concentrate on her work again. And she would need her head clear the coming few days, because tomorrow Liu Economics and Lee Electronics would break off their contract.  
That day was the calm for the storm: the Board was relaxed, her father was his 'busy' self and no one seemed to have a clue that something big was going to happen. Except for Krystal Jung, of course.  
With nothing to worry about, Krystal could focus completely. Her daily ritual continued: getting up from the bed she slept in with Amber – either her own or her girlfriend’s – and going to work, lunching with Amber and Jack Jack, working again and going home to see her soulmate trying to cook dinner, which eventually always turned out in a small disaster. Nevertheless, Krystal ate the food, because that’s what girlfriends do.

A few days after Amber came home, her tattoo looked precisely the way she wanted it to look. The redness had disappeared and the letters flowed in the exact right way over her skin. Her hair usually fell over it but she found herself more often rubbing her neck when she was nervous – as a new habit forming. It was her way of being close with Amber, her own ‘what would Amber do in this situation?’.  
When she was home, she put her hair in a ponytail, much to the delight of her girlfriend, who loved to look at her new decoration. Amber’s fingers often trailed over the flowing letters of her own name in her neck, making goosebumps appear all over her body, the same way Krystal did when they laid in bed late at night and Amber’s back was unexposed and her tattoos free and visible.  
Living like that – crossed Krystal’s mind – wasn’t at all that bad. Even as Vice-President.

But Krystal wouldn’t be Krystal if she blew off now. She owed it to herself, to Amber, to Victoria that she would go through with this. So, that meant she sent a confirmation e-mail to Jackie Liu and Amy Lee the night before the grande finale would happen. Both of them replied back within an hour, affirming their part of the plan. They would break the contract in the late hours of that evening so the plan could be set in action tomorrow morning.  
Krystal slept with a light heart that night, with Amber’s arms curled around her waist. She slept soundly, not waking up once.

The next day, it felt like a tornado had run over the Jung Internationals' Headquarters, but the Headquarters only. When she entered the hall, it seemed like a normal working day. Unlike that time Victoria outlasted herself as her father's associate, the ladies behind the information desks weren't gossiping through their headsets, whilst trying their hardest to get on top of the work that was being shoved down their throats. They didn't even seem aware that Liu Economics and Lee Electronics had left.  
As soon as she came upstairs, she noticed why.  
There was no meeting called. The Board greeted her happily when she arrived – that is, as happy as old men can be on a Tuesday morning – and her PA Eloisa gave her the schedule of that day: it was a normal working day. But as soon as she opened her laptop, Krystal saw an e-mail of her father popping up, saying they needed to talk and it would be nice if they could have lunch together later. Krystal texted him back – not fond communicating through e-mails with her own father – telling him that she'd love to grab some food together during their breaks. Krystal got a reply back to meet him at Zucchini’s – the Italian two blocks away – at 1 PM. At last, she had sent a confirmation before putting her phone away and starting her laptop.  
In her mailbox, she found two mails from Jackie and Amy, both telling her how they had successfully ended their contract. And yet, no one seemed to know. Krystal decided not to ask and play dumb; waiting for others to make the first move.

With such a big thing coming up, her normal work seemed like child’s play to her. Dull, boring work that consumed too much of her time and was in fact useless right now. If the company would fall apart in a few hours, what use was it do all of this work?  
Yet, she stayed at her job, despite working slower than usual. She let her mind wander about how she was going to run the company when she was in charge. When her father would leave it to her in times of despair, she needed to be a strong leader who knew what to do. Of course, she’d enlist Song Software, Liu Economics and Lee Electronics again, but it would still take a while before Jung Internationals would be strong again.

Around half past twelve, Krystal started to clear up her stuff. To Eloisa she said that she’d be out for an hour or two. She knew her father well enough that if he invited her to lunch that there was something going on. All of the lunches and dinners they had ever spent between just the two of them had been because there was some sort of problem that needed fixing. Krystal had always felt incredibly superior that her father trusted her and only her with such problems and wanted to hear her opinion.  
She knew better now. Her father just needed someone who would agree with him in the meeting room, so the Board would be more easily convinced. Krystal had always admired her father and for a long time she thought that all of his decisions were correct. Now that she had grown older, she knew better than to let her judgement be clouded by her feelings. Her father was a formidable business man, but he as well had grown older and that was affecting his sense of judgement. Sometimes it felt like he was going blind, like there had formed a layer of whiteness on top of the dark brown of his eyes and that prevented him from seeing clearly.

Krystal arrived at the restaurant five minutes late and she was immediately directed towards a table in the back. The smell of tomatoes and garlic immediately entered her nosetrils. The floor cracked familiarly underneath her feet when she walked. The walls were still dirty dark green and the wooden bar still looked like a piece of driftwood. The bartender was polishing glasses with a towel. Her father was already there, waiting patiently with a glass of dark red wine in front of him, his fingers intertwined with each other and his gaze down. When he heard the familiar clicking of Krystal’s heels on the wooden floor, he looked up and smiled. It was the smile he had shown her a dozen times when she was little. One that was a mix of pride, admiration and love. Whenever she had gotten a good grade as a kid or had managed to get first place in an athletics event, he would show her that smile.  
Krystal didn’t understand why he showed it her now, after years of not using it. It almost made her uneasy.  
“Sit down, love,” he told her, and Krystal did so. A waiter immediately put a glass of the same wine in front of her, but Krystal declined.  
“I prefer white wine, actually,” she told him. “Chardonnay, please.”  
The waiter nodded, took the glass away again and returned a few moments later with a bottle Chardonnay. He poured her a glass and Krystal slowly took a sip.  
“I thought you liked red wine more?” her father asked her, his eyes not averting from his daughter. Krystal put the glass down and nodded. She would not want to confess that due to Amber she didn’t like the bitter taste in the red wine anymore, but preferred sweet.  
“I underwent a change recently,” she muttered. “If I want to drink something that’s not to my taste, I’d take whiskey. I actually like the taste of white wine, unlike red.”  
Her father nodded slowly then shrugged. His daughter’s taste in wine was his least concern. For a moment, a silence fell. Krystal thought her father would break the ice by introducing the topic of why he had brought her here, but instead he took the menu’s and handed one over to her.  
“Anything you want, I’ll pay,” he told her, as he opened his. Krystal nodded quietly.

Half an hour later, both of them had a damping plate of food in front of them. Salmon and ravioli. They were both quietly eating their food, when her father suddenly put his knife and fork down.  
“Do you know why I took you here?” he asked her. Krystal didn’t look up from her plate.  
“This was my favorite place to go when I was young, but I suppose it rather has something to do with Jung Internationals because I don’t recall you re-living memories for fun ever.”  
Her father chuckled.  
“Always so attentive,” he said. “I remember that you always wanted to come here on your birthday. We could have gone to the best chef in the country if you had wanted to, but you always chose this place with prices not higher than fifteen dollars over a five-star cook. One time your mother got food poisoning because she ate badly cooked chicken breast here. And still, you want to come here on your birthday, every year again.”  
Krystal looked up and tilted her head a little to the left.  
“This was the only place in the city that made me feel like a common girl. Like a normal, middle-class family who had no money to rent a five-star cook to make dinner for their daughter. The fact that mom got food poisoning once made it even better.”  
Her father nodded. “I know you felt that way. That’s why we let you.”  
“Why are we here, dad?” Krystal asked abruptly, not liking that he spoke so easily over her childhood. He doesn't know how she felt or would ever feel and she didn't like it that he interpreted her feelings.  
Her father sighed and rubbed his temples. For just a second, he looked like a fragile, old man again, who had had his days and needed a break. The circles underneath his eyes seemed to have turned darker when he looked back up to her.  
“I wished it would’ve never come to this point but I cannot hide it anymore.. Jung Internationals is doomed to fall soon and I don’t know how long I can pretend that everything is going to be alright anymore…”  
Krystal frowned.  
“What are you talking about?”  
Her father took a big sip of his wine and licked his lips afterwards.  
“That Song Software left us wasn’t at all that bad. We had an economy big enough to save us. But this morning… I found two mails from Ms. Liu and Ms. Lee that they wanted to quit as well, now that Victoria Song had left. Only, what I didn’t think they’d do was that they took all of the products with them. They have cancelled the production of the goods we had together under our names. Do you know how many combined stuff we have together with Liu Economics? Half of our assortment… The other quarter belongs to Lee Electronics. They don’t want to do business with us any longer. Jackie Liu said that she understood why Victoria had left. They will form a coalition together, the three of them. And with three quarters of our products and income gone, I don’t think Jung Internationals’ will last much longer.”  
Krystal tried to look as surprised and deeply shocked as possible, but she had never been a great actress. Nevertheless, her father was wallowing so much in self-pity that he didn’t even recognize the triumphant look in his daughter’s brown eyes.  
And even though she had practically won already, a strange feeling started to gather in her stomach. To hear her father talk about the company like this was heartbreaking. He had spent his whole life to build up something good and now due to his own daughter, he would lose it all. And if Jung Internationals’ economy was really going to crumble down, would Krystal be able to prevent it from dying? Despite her few years of experience, she was still young.  
But even if she wanted to stop right now, there was no way back. She’d just have to push through and set the last part of her plan in action.  
“Why did they leave?” she asked. Her father shrugged.  
“Amy Lee said that we were losing and we weren’t responsible business partners anymore and Jackie Liu followed Victoria Song. It seems like the three of them have been conspiring against us all along and it was just a matter of time before they left too. Song Software was simply breaking the ice.”  
“And there’s no way to stop this?” she asked sincerely – or, as sincere as she could.  
“I know the Liu’s well enough to know that Jackie Liu isn’t going to make up her mind. And as for Amy Lee, I understand damn well why she would choose the other side. We’re indeed losing, Krystal, and there’s very little we can do. Only the Empire Group stays with us but they have always been sucking onto us like a parasite. Soon, we won’t provide enough blood for them anymore and they’ll leave too, to the next host.”  
Krystal sighed and placed her head in her hands.  
“We have to make this public soon…” her father muttered. She looked up.  
“Why? Don’t you want to hush this up as much as possible? You always told me that bad publicity is also publicity but I don’t think that this belongs to that category.”  
He shook his head.  
“I cannot start firing people out of the blue, Krystal. Soon, we won’t have enough money anymore to uphold so many employees. We will have to select our best workers and fire the rest. The others have to work extra hours to come up with new products but even if we can design new items within the next few weeks I don’t think it will help…”  
Krystal sighed and looked at her father. He was staring at his place, like a kid who was just told he wasn’t allowed to play outside after dark. He looked defeated, tired and breakable. Her heart ached to hug him, but she controlled herself. Wasn’t that what you have always taught me, daddy? Control yourself; think rationally, without any emotions clouding your judgement.   
That’s why she said:  
“I want a re-vote.”  
Her father looked up, a look of hurt in his eyes. It was just for a second or two, then it got replaced by annoyance that was followed up by anger.  
“You can’t be serious.”  
But she was and she knew she needed to break the news now or it would indeed be too late for Jung Internationals. If she didn’t act quickly, the company would never be the same.  
“There is a reason why Victoria Song, Jackie Liu and Amy Lee bailed on you. There is a reason why they shared behind me. It’s simply because you’re not fit for the job anymore. I’m going in appeal, as soon as possible. But before that, I will make public what has happened with Liu Economics and Lee Electronics. The Boards and the other employees need to know,” she said, as she stood up, “Perhaps there’s still a chance for me to save Jung Internationals if I’m quick. Don't think about stopping me, if you want to see our company ever the same again.”  
And with those words, she turned around and strode out of the restaurant, leaving her father speechless at the table. A lonely, distant feeling fathered in her stomach. Krystal's face was neutral as emotionless spread through her abandon.

“Did you really say that to him?” Amber asked her a few hours later, after Krystal had enthusiatically told her what had happened during lunch. She stared at her with eyes as big as saucers. Krystal shrugged, not really getting the worried response of her significant other.  
“I suppose I did. Aren’t you proud of me?”  
Amber let a sigh escape from her mouth and furrowed her brows.  
“Well, I’m proud of you for standing up against him but don’t you think it’s a bit too hard? He sounded like he was at the edge of crying.”  
Krystal pouted her lips.  
“It’s not like Jung Internationals is really going bankrupt. He’ll just have to bear with the situation right now,” she muttered.  
“Wasn’t it painful to see him like that? I know you think of him badly but still… he’s still your father.”  
Krystal rolled her eyes and sat upright from the bed, freeing herself from Amber’s arms abruptly. Her girlfriend immediately noticed that there was something wrong and propped herself up on one elbow too.  
“I don’t know if you have noticed, but good relationships aren’t exactly the most important thing in our family. I know you’re all close and sweet with your parents and sister, but I simply have never had that childhood. So no, it was not painful. It felt like I was finally getting what I deserved.”  
Krystal stood up from the bed and immediately took her bathrobe, feeling cold without Amber’s body heat and the sheets now that she wore just her lingerie but not wanting to admit it. She turned away from Amber, who quickly hurried up from the bed.  
Right as she wanted to leave the bedroom, she grabbed her hand and spun her around.  
“I didn’t mean it like that. I know that your relationship with your father is difficult,” Amber said, her face serious and her brown eyes deeper than ever. Krystal sighed and turned her face away.  
“It’s not understandable for an outsider. I barely knew him. I became the person I am today because I wanted to get to know him and I did. What I found out wasn’t exactly encouraging our relationship. I just see him as a rival, nothing else. If he cries about losing his position, then that’s his problem,” she hissed.  
“He doesn’t cry about not being CEO anymore, he cries because his lifework is going up in flames. Give the man some slack,” Amber tried.  
Krystal took her hand back furiously and looked deadly in her girlfriend’s eyes.  
“He deserves it.”  
She felt something pop in her as she said that. It wasn’t the surprised, almost hurt, look in Amber’s eyes, but something within herself that she had refused to acknowledge. She had always told herself that she loved her parents no matter what. It was expected of a person to love their family. But she didn’t. She only loved Jessica unconditionally and she wasn’t there ninety percent of the time. As a matter of fact, her sister made the choice to escape the family drama too, leaving her sister right in the middle of it.  
She didn’t love her parents nor would she ever. In fact, with saying this out loud, she understood that she perhaps even hated them. Strongly disliked at least. She hated them for turning their daughter into an emotionless robot, programmed to do as they say, believing that it’s good to do what its parents say. Krystal was brainwashed as a kid and would have been a completely different person if only she was brought up with love.  
But she had not and that’s why she could only be together with Amber now, after eight years, instead of right away. She had been programmed to think that love was bad. It wasn’t, but she was only able to understand now, at the age of twenty-six. And she hated it. She hated it that she could only be happy now and only give Amber now what she deserved.  
They had ruined her and she wanted revenge. She wanted to make her father suffer like she had, even if that meant burning Jung Internationals to the ground.  
“Please, go home. I want to be alone now,” she muttered distantly, not looking in Amber’s eyes.  
“No.”  
“Excuse me?”   
Her voice had shot up a few octaves. In utter disbelief she looked up, only to see a very stubborn look in Amber’s eyes. She stared back with the same stubbornness.  
“It’s not right for him to pay like that. He didn’t hurt you because he liked it. He’s probably brought up the same way,” she said. Anger gathered in her chest.  
“I don’t care. If we will get a kid together, I will not raise it like my father. That he has been fucked up too doesn’t mean you have to burden your child,” she barked angrily. But instead of anger or at least annoyance, Amber stared at her with shock in her eyes.  
“‘Our kid’?” she whispered. Krystal’s anger faded immediately when she realized her mistake. Krystal felt like her heart stopped. For a full few seconds, they just stared at each other. Her hands were shaking, she noticed.  
“Is this normal?” she eventually blurted out, when Amber would not say anything. “Because I don’t know, Amber. I don’t know if I’m supposed to think about that already or if it’s actually too soon. I don’t know anymore…”  
Amber took her hand again, tried to comfort her shaking girlfriend. But Krystal couldn’t set herself to grab her hand firmly.  
She didn’t know. She didn’t know how a relationship was supposed to work because she was simply never taught.  
“It is, I think. It is normal,” Amber replied softly.  
“Then have you thought about it?”  
“No…” she admitted. “Children are the next step in marriage, I suppose. Would you marry me, then?”  
“Is this a proposal?”  
“No,” Amber said firmly. “If it will come to that, I will propose in a special way.”  
“What if I want to propose?” she asked. It wasn’t like she had always dreamed about someone getting on their knees for her, but it would be revolutionary if she proposed.  
“Then you can. Just make it special,” Amber replied, with a weak smile on her face. She took her hand firmer and squeezed it reassuringly. “Please, don’t ever think that your thoughts might not be normal. You are normal, you are okay. That your parents lacked in this, doesn’t mean you’re different. You are perfect and good and even if you want to get married in Las Vegas right now, steal a child from a kinder garden and grow up somewhere in a small cabin in the woods in Europe, I’d say yes. You are everything I need, Krystal.”  
She breathed shakily in, trying to control her own body as much as possible. Her shoulders tensed and she gritted her teeth together to prevent tears from gathering in her eyes. And she didn’t want Amber to see her cry. Even though she had promised to open up more, she couldn’t have it. So, she placed her hands around her face and pulled her towards her roughly. Their lips clashed together in need. A sloppy kiss formed as their mouths moved over each other, teeth clinking together and heavy breaths in between. Amber gripped at the bathrobe, clutching the fabric between her fingers. Krystal felt tears roll down her cheeks during the kiss. She didn’t know if Amber could feel her lower lip shake, but she did and it made her heart ache even more. Why couldn’t she just be happy just being with her? Why did she always want more? CEO instead of Vice-President. Married instead of just a relationship… and what about children? She didn’t want to ruin the beautiful thing she had with Amber by wanting too much.

Later that night they had settled on the couch. After their conversation, they had both been in need for hugs and silent love. Amber had settled in the corner of Krystal’s lounge sofa and Krystal half leaned half laid against her. Amber caressed her cheek and otherwise played with her hair whilst watching the movie – Jurassic Park – together. As the living room filled herself with the screams of dinosaurs, Krystal couldn’t find herself concentrating. Instead, her eyes closed slowly and she settled in a more comfortable position against her girlfriend, eventually pulling the thin blanket that was always on the rug of her couch over her body.  
Before she fell asleep, she muttered:  
“Just so you know, I’d say yes if you proposed to me.”  
Amber stirred. Her breathing stopped for a moment, then continued to breathe unevenly.  
“Why are you letting me know that? It’s no fun for me to propose if I know you’re already going to say yes,” she chuckled. Krystal closed her eyes.  
“I already let you know by tattooing your name in my neck,” she replied softly. “You knew from the moment we met again at the party. You have always known.”  
Amber stroke her hair, eventually moving her hand to her neck and tracing over her tattoo. She kept her gaze on the screen, watching how the tyrannosaurus rex attacked the portable research center of Dr. Grant.  
“I have. But I want to hear you say it when I propose, not right now.”  
“Okay, but then you first have to propose.”  
“Maybe.”  
“Maybe?” she asked.  
“It’s no fun in knowing I will propose, now, is it?” she chuckled.  
Krystal smiled softly.  
"I agree."


	34. Chapter thirty-three

In the following days, Krystal prepared for the last battle. Despite what Amber had said, she still wanted to go through with her plan. Even if it was just about proving a point that she could claim the CEO position by force, she wanted to do it. She owed it as well to herself, her girlfriend, Victoria, Jackie and Amy Lee.  
To get full closure, she needed this.

So, that’s why she called in all of the employees of the Jung Internationals’ Headquarters for the second time that year. In the meantime, she was being recorded, live, for the other facilities of Jung Internationals. As she adjusted her earpiece, she became aware that all of the employees, even those in Europe, would listen to her speak right now. That were over ten thousand employees.  
She wasn’t scared at all. Speeching had become her second nature and now that it wasn’t about her personal feelings for Amber, she felt a lot more relaxed.

Her employees reacted to her liking. Especially those who had initially voted for her as the new CEO were shocked, together with those who had wanted to vote for her but hadn’t been able to. Those who were a little higher up and loyal followers of her father also looked at each other uncomfortably, knowing that their loyalty would be questioned soon. If the CEO who had proved year after year that he was good for his employees suddenly made the economy of the company crumble in less than a month, even the most loyal workers started to question him.

Within a few days, the company was in conflict with itself. Two groups had formed: those who supported Krystal and those who supported her father. As far as she knew, her group was the largest – as well as the angriest. Her father’s loyal men tried hard to try to convince the others that there was still something good in him and that all of his business plans had worked out so far. They would need to have a little faith that everything would be okay.  
But Krystal’s supporters were almost protestors and were angry at her father as well as his helpers. They wanted him gone as much as she wanted to. They wanted a fresh face, someone with a clear mind and an eye for the future. The world changed and Jung Internationals’ had to change with it. To have a sick, old, tired man in charge didn’t do the company any good, especially now that he didn’t do anything with three of Jung Internationals’ biggest associates gone. On top of that, they feared for their jobs. They might not have a doctorate in economics like Krystal, but they knew well enough that the company didn't have any money at the moment, and that meant they'd have to fire people to create money.  
Krystal let the uproar play for a day or two, then she got back to the judge. She went in appeal and her request was granted: another vote, this time for everyone in the company.  
The whole process of voting and counting the votes took maybe a week. It was long, too long, she knew. The money was running out now that there was barely something coming in. They had been already forced to lend money from the bank. Since Jung Internationals’ had always kept their word on paying it back, they borrowd them the money for one time. They had been saved for at least a couple of weeks, but it wouldn’t last long and she knew that the counting had to be done quickly if she wanted to save the company. And even if so, Liu Economics, Song Software and Lee Electronics immediately needed to re-sign their contracts and transfer the money that had been earned by the combined products. With a little luck, she didn’t have to fire anyone, but it was going to be close.

Surprisingly, her father didn’t try anything to stop her. Perhaps he had finally seen the light and let her have the CEO spot or he trusted his followers so much that he simply didn’t care.  
Krystal couldn’t know, because since their lunch date, he was barely ever at the office and she had reclaimed her spot as substitute-CEO. It surprised her that her father showed up at the result meeting. The votes have been counted and added up. The same man who had done the previous presentation was now leading them into this one. He skipped most of his talk, since he as well as the Board were getting sick and tired of the game they were playing. Everyone wanted the result as much as she wanted it.  
Her father looked even more tired as he stepped into the small meeting room that morning, almost as if he had just rolled out of bed after sleeping for an hour or three. Krystal didn’t look at him much and tried to ignore his presence as much as she could. She was a professional after all.  
The results weren’t surprising to her at all, although she heard some nervous whispers going around the Board as soon as it was revealed that Krystal won the votes with 80 percent. It took a lot of her self-control to hide her victorious smile.

As soon as the meeting was over, she stood up from her chair and shook all of the hands of the Board. Her father was last. He looked at her with a grim expression.  
“Come with me to my office,” he told her.  
My office, father, she thought, but didn’t say it out loud. It would be too childish and a bit painful, like salt in an open wound. She went with him and they sat down on the identical leather couch Krystal had in her office.  
“I hope you’re know what you’re doing, Krystal. The company is dying,” he said to her softly. Krystal smiled and shrugged.  
“Not if I rail Ms. Song, Ms. Liu and Ms. Lee in, father,” she said. He frowned and shook his head.  
“They’re gone, don’t you understand? They won’t cooperate with us anymore.”  
Krystal simply smirked.  
“We shall see. I don’t think there’ll be a problem. They need us as much as we need them and if they’ll hold up their end of the deal, it will be all fine.”  
Her father furrowed his brows even deeper, so the wrinkles on his forehead looked like valleys and mountains. Suddenly, he seemed to get the hang out of it. Perhaps it was the way Krystal triumphantically looked at him, or perhaps he had suspected her all along, she didn’t know. All that she saw was anger, pure rage, forming in his eyes.  
After that, nothing sensible came out of his mouth. He screamed to her that she was betraying the family, that she would be disowned, that she would never make it alone. She let him scream, partly because some things he said to her were true, partly because he probably needed to blow of some steam in order to think rationally again. With a cold gaze in her eyes, she looked at him and waited until he was done raging. When he was, she said:  
“I told you, father, not to mess with me. Now I am CEO and you are jobless. And as much as I’d like to hear you call me all sorts of names, I request you to leave my office. I have work to do, you know, save Jung Internationals from going bankrupt.”  
After that, he opened his mouth to yell out a final punch-line, but nothing seemed to come up in his head as he turned around and walked with large, angry strikes out of her office. Krystal was finally able to breathe normally when he left.

Not soon after that, Evans knocked on the door, as Krystal was moving her stuff from her old office to her new. Not that there was much difference, but everyone knew that this was the office of the CEO, which meant she needed to move places. It was all part of the ritual of becoming the new leader of Jung Internationals.  
She let him in, although she didn't exactly like the idea of him coming to visit her. She knew what he wanted.  
With a sigh, she let him sit in the chair across from her.  
“I suppose our deal still stands?” he asked immediately, not even waiting for the cup of coffee that Eloisa brought in a few moments later. Krystal waited with answering until she was gone and eventually nodded.  
“It is,” she said. “Make sure the Board doesn’t vote me out and you’ll be my Vice-President.”  
Evans smiled smugly and nodded. He stood up, placed his hands in the pockets of his trousers and told her good-bye, without even touching his drink. Krystal sighed and watched him go, not content about the whole situation. At least, Victoria, Jackie and Amy were trustworthy partners she could conspire with. Evans had something that was alike to a snake, crawling at your feet, biding his time until the perfect moment to lash out and bite. Deadly poison would run through your veins in no time, and you wouldn’t even know he had bitten you. Sooner rather than later, you would suffocate and die whilst he took in your place. Having Evans as your Vice-President wasn’t exactly reassuring. She now understood why her father put her in charge rather soon: your child would never betray you. It was a way to keep all those toxic people far enough from him that they would not able to reach him and teach her all the fine tricks about the business world.

Thereupon, Mitchell came in. The old man – the eldest in the Board – had nowadays difficulty walking and therefor came in with a walking stick. His hair was almost white and thinned so much that she could see his scalp. The deep wrinkles in his face reminded her of waves. He sat down in front of her with a sigh and placed his stick on the ground. By the way he was moving, she noticed he was stiff, perhaps in pain too. She had always liked Mitchell.  
“I just came by to congratulate you on your victory, Ms. Jung,” Mitchell began, as soon as Eloisa had brought him a cup of tea. He was the only one who drank tea.  
“Thank you very much,” she smiled. Mitchell smiled back and chuckled.  
“Must have been a pain in the ass, as the youngsters say it, am I right?” he asked. Krystal tilted her head.  
“What do you mean?”  
“This whole campaign. It was stoked from both sides, everyone with an alert gaze could see that,” he said. Krystal’s cheeks colored.  
“The end justifies the means, I like to say to myself,” she said softly. “If you are here for the Vice-President spot, then you’re too late. Evans came by.”  
Mitchell smiled. His smile reminded her of her grand-father.  
“I am not here for the VP spot, I am way too old for that. I would’ve guessed that Evans already came by. It’s nothing for him to stay silent during a power play like this one. Of course, he was going to try and get on the winning side. He chose wisely.”  
“It was bound to happen anyway,” she said. What Mitchell didn’t know was that her father wouldn’t have let her become the CEO due to the fact that she was now together with Amber. If he resigned, he would probably name one of the Board members to follow him up, not her. She simply too her fate in her own hands.  
“I agree. I hope you will stay for a long time, even later in your life.”  
“I am planning to,” she answered.  
“You know how hard this way of living is, especially with children,” he said softly. Krystal squinted her eyes suspiciously.  
“Are you trying to warn me that I will neglect either my job or my children when I get any?” she growled. “I am fully capable of raising children with my partner and be the CEO. Unlike my father, I know how to spend my time wisely.”  
Mitchell looked up to her and shook his head.  
“I’m just saying it’s a lonely life to live your whole life. Don’t you miss living like any other twenty-something-year old? Going out, partying, celebrating life like you still can? You’re stuck here, playing dirty tricks that not even the most experienced business men would play due to the risks.”  
Krystal smiled.  
“It almost seems like you’re concerned for my well-being, Mitchell.”  
“Of course, I am,” Mitchell chuckled. “I don’t want you to end up like your father.”  
“I won’t. If I want to party and get drunk, I will. But I will always show up at work at nine o’clock the follow morning. Perhaps it’s the power of the other gender.”   
The old man smiled and laughed softly.  
“Perhaps it is. I have always thought that women are more compatible than men. I cannot do more than to trust you in your decision. But, if you ask me, my trust is not forced. You have showed countless of times that you know what to do. And to have Song Software, Liu Economics and Lee Electronics sign out so that your father would be an easy target, is such a calculated attack that I know better than to mistrust you.”  
Krystal frowned.  
“How do you know about that?”  
“Your father told me. He found out today, finally. He told me he still wanted to have a word with you later. I think you should better prepare yourself.”  
Krystal nodded and took a sip of her espresso.  
“I am not scared of my father anymore.”  
Mitchell smiled and took her hand. He pinched in it like her father never had.  
“That’s the spirit, my child.”  
He bowed back and took the last sip of his tea. He put the cup down and stood up on his shaking legs. Krystal stood up from her desk and bowed down to give him back his walking stick. Thankfully, he took it from her.  
They said their good-byes and Krystal finally could go on with decorating her new office.

That evening she returned home with a grim expression on her face. She was tired of the day. A lot had happened and her new responsibilities as CEO had immediately started. Even though she simply wanted to decorate her new place, several people came back or demanded a meeting. Krystal had been talking to people the whole day and she was mentally exhausted.  
She was glad that Amber had texted her that they’d be eating Italian at her place that afternoon. She would’ve probably ordered take-out if it wasn’t for Amber, even though she had a policy to not order out ever.  
Exhausted, she went home first, took a shower and changed her clothes into something comfortable before she went to her girlfriend’s place.  
The smell of the delicious food was overwhelming when she came in. Loud music was playing, and she didn’t hear the usual ‘Babe!’ when the door fell shut. Jack Jack immediately ran towards her and jumped against her legs. Krystal bowed down to pet the little dog and she smiled. He returned to the couch when she walked along to the kitchen. The short-haired girl she loved so much was humming along softly to Uptown Funk, shaking her shoulders dorkily on the beat as she stirred in a pan with sauce. Krystal grinned and wrapped her arms around her waist. She felt Amber stir for a moment, then turn around.  
“Hey, I didn’t even hear you come in,” she said, before she kissed her. Krystal kissed her back and placed her chin on Amber’s shoulder after that.  
“You should turn the music down then,” she muttered.  
“This is Uptown Funk!” Amber huffed. “The best song in history!”  
Krystal rolled her eyes and nuzzled her face in Amber’s neck. She got the hint immediately and put the spoon down, with which she had stirred in the pan, to turn around in her arms. Krystal pressed her body closely to her girlfriend’s as she felt two strong arms around her.  
“Today were the results, right?” Amber asked, after a few moments. Krystal nodded, not lifting up her head.  
“Should I take your silence as a bad sign…?”   
Krystal looked up and couldn’t hold her big grin anymore. Amber’s face lit up.  
“You won?” she asked. To answer her, Krystal pressed her lips firmly on her girlfriend’s. She felt Amber grin against her mouth. She wrapped her arms around Amber’s neck and let her be pressed up against the kitchen dresser. When they broke apart, both of them were grinning like crazy.  
“With how much?”  
“Eighty percent.”  
“Eight?!” Amber exclaimed, so loud that even Tuna looked up disturbedly. “We should celebrate! This is huge, you did so great! Finally, they see how great you are. I cannot believe that-”  
“Shh,” Krystal shushed, although she couldn’t wipe the big smile off of her face. “Eating spaghetti with you is enough. And I’m pretty sure it’s going to burn if you don’t stir in it now.”  
Amber rolled her eyes and sighed, making a sign that she was probably crazy in her head that she wanted to eat her badly made, almost burned spaghetti over a five-star restaurant, but turned around eventually. She stirred in the pan and put the fire down.  
“It’s done anyway. We can still put it away and eat it tomorrow, so we can go out tonight?” she asked hopefully. Krystal shook her head.  
“Nope, I want to eat your spaghetti and after that I want to cuddle on the couch as we watch a movie.”  
Amber sighed, but smiled. She took Krystal’s head and pressed a kiss on her forehead.  
“As my Princess commands.”

The following days were even more hectic. She met up with Victoria, Jackie and Amy and all of three signed a new contract. Jung Internationals was saved at last and within a day, new money started to roll into the bank account. It had been a close call.  
Victoria stuck along a little longer, appraising how she had handled the whole situation. Jackie had sent her a flower bouquet, since she was on a business trip to England. For the rest of the days, she was meeting up with the other leaders of associating companies, giving them her schedule and informing them about her plans with Jung Internationals. Eric turned up to the meeting with red cheeks and he apologized for not immediately supporting her. Krystal couldn't help it to forgive him: she would have probably done the same.  
At the end of the week, she was drained. The only thing that kept her going and didn't make her call in sick was Amber, who supported her and brought her food and kept her company. She knew that as the CEO she needed to give just a little more to the company and that this week would be crazy. It would all settle down soon, but she still was tired and not able to do anything but sleep, eat and watch movies whenever she was off.

She had not expected to hear from her father any time soon, but at the end of the week, Eloisa announced that he had made an appointment with her for Friday afternoon. Krystal had simply nodded, since there was little she could do to stop him, but she wasn’t exactly looking forward to the conversation with joy. In fact, she was rather nervous. Even after all this time, the presence of her angry father still made her shudder in anxiety, even though she was a grown-up now. Perhaps that would never really leave.  
Friday afternoon came way too quick. He would be the last one on her list who wanted to talk to her – saved the worst for last, sadly. She made Eloisa brew good coffee and get some cookies from the local baker just a little down the street. Krystal made sure everything was perfect and in place when the clock told her it was four o’clock.  
After that, she simply waited, pretending to be busy as her father arrived in the hall. He was five minutes late – as usual – and knocked politely on the door before entering. Krystal immediately saved the thing she was working on and looked up from her laptop. She shut it off and closed it, without saying a word. Her father kept standing in the opening of the door, watching her as she neared him, until she was only a few feet away. They stared at each other for a moment. Krystal had a hard time to see through his barriers and guess what he was really thinking. His eyes were these hard rocks that seemed not to bear any emotion…  
Until he started to smile. A twinkle appeared in his eyes as he pulled her closer, into a hug. Krystal was too shocked to even object, let alone hug him back. Her father pulled back and held her at arm-length, studying her whole appearance.  
“My daughter…” he started, with a thick voice. “… I am so proud of you.”  
Krystal opened her mouth to object, but closed it again, because she simply had no idea what was going on. Her father let her go and walked towards the leather couch, immediately taking a cooking and munching on it as Krystal slowly walked towards the sofa too. She sat down, a bit uncomfortably, next to him and watched him take another cookie and eat that too. He was getting a little belly, but she guessed it didn’t matter anymore now that he wasn’t the spokesperson of Jung Internationals anymore.  
“Why did you want to see me?” she eventually asked. Her father looked up and lifted his eyebrows.  
“Does a father need a reason to see his daughter?” he replied. “I just came in to check on you, if you’re holding together, as so to say.”  
“One week of being the chief won’t break me, dad,” she sighed. “You must think of me badly if you thought I was going insane.”  
Her father chuckled and shook his head.  
“I raised you myself, I know what you’re capable of. Especially now. I will say it again and I will say it until I die: I am so proud of you.”  
Krystal shook her head, not understanding.  
“Why? I don’t understand why you’re being glad I kicked you out,” she said.  
“My love, that was your last test, don’t you understand?” her father laughed. “I was always planning on giving you the company, no matter what. But a CEO should be fearless, should be willing to take risks and would do everything for the company. I wasn’t exactly sure if you were that bold, do you understand? That’s why I told you that you were not ready yet, hoping to unlock that fire in you that I knew you possessed. And look at you now: you have made it. One is not truly a CEO if you aren’t capable of ruining lives, and I prefer that to be mine than someone innocent. Sweetheart, I raised you well, I am so proud of you.”  
Krystal stared at him with eyes big of disbelief.  
“This-this was all a test…?” she murmured. Her father grinned.  
“You passed it with flying colors.”  
“Oh my God…” she muttered, over and over again, as she let her head fall into her hands. She sat like that for a while, until her father eventually put his hand upon her shoulder and she had to shrug it off viciously.  
“Don’t touch me,” she hissed at him. Krystal lifted her head and looked at him with fire in her eyes. “You made me believe it was because of Amber!”  
“Well, I have to admit that I’m definitely not fond of the kid and that I would have loved to see you marry Kai instead. But it would be foolish to make you stop dating her because you’re obviously very fond of each other. Plus, you're stubborn, like me, so I wouldn't be able to stop you anyway.”  
Krystal slapped him hard on his shoulder, causing her old man to wince in pain.  
“You deserved it,” she barked at him. “Don’t ever fool me like that again, you hear me?”  
Her father simply waved it off.  
“Don’t worry about it, you beat me anyway. There’s no one to beat now, but the biggest challenge will still come: you have to stay on top and in this position. Don’t let yourself be worked away by that animal of an Evans.”  
Krystal ran with her hand through her hair and took a few large sips of her coffee. It burned her throat and tongue, but the pain was a blissful feeling after that she just figured out that she had been a chess piece in her father’s game even now, even when she thought that she had outfoxed him.  
“Don’t worry about it, Evans still has to prove his worth to me. I’m planning to fire all of those ass-lickers,” she said. Her father rose his eyebrows.  
“Prove his worth? He tried to get you fired yesterday, haven’t you heard?”  
Krystal frowned.  
“What? No, I have not heard. What happened?”  
“Guess that’s why the meeting was secretive, but I expected at least Mitchell to enlighten you,” he muttered. “Either way, the Board wanted to have you out. They came together secretively, lead by Evans, and tried to vote you out. Everyone voted yes, except for Mitchell. He saved you, basically. Good job on recruiting him, he’s loyal.”  
“Only that I didn’t. I had recruited Evans,” she muttered. Her father rose his eyebrows and chuckled.  
“Your first mistake. It could have been fatal, you know?”  
“This whole idiotic idea of yours could have been fatal if Victoria, Jackie and Amy had really broken the contract, instead of just playing it all. You could have lost Jung Internationals by wanting to teach me a lesson, only you didn’t. This industry is full of risks and if you don’t take some once in a while, you gain nothing,” she simply said. “And right now, if you will excuse me, I’m going to fire some people.”  
He chuckled and nodded. Both of them, father and daughter, stood up from the couch. Her father took one last cookie, holding it between his thumb and index finger.  
“I expect that you take good care of my company and I know you want to do this alone, but don’t be afraid to come to me once in a while when you don’t know what to do anymore,” he told her.  
Krystal rolled her eyes and awkwardly patted her father on the shoulder.  
“Don’t get all sentimental on me now, dad,” she muttered. “I’ll be fine.”  
“I know you will,” he answered sighing. “Hmm, better off I go then, I’m probably holding you back. Just make sure you stop around at your elderly home once a while, will you? And… invite Amber over. I suppose it’s really thick between you two, so I feel obliged to try another time to like her.”  
Krystal looked up and smiled weakly.  
“Of course, I will,” she said. “Next week Saturday? We can cook if you want.”  
“Darling, we have a five-star cook, you don’t have to-”  
“But we want to,” she interrupted him. “Let’s be normal for once, okay? Come over at my place and we will cook you and mom something. Then we can talk.”  
Her father hesitated for a moment, but eventually nodded.  
“We’ll stay in touch.”  
“We will,” she assured him. Her father smiled. He squeezed her shoulder reassuringly before turning around and walking out of her office. He yelled another ‘Go get ‘em, tiger!’ from the hallway right before he walked around the corner, making both Krystal and Eloisa laugh softly.  
“He’s really something, isn’t he?” Eloisa asked her, coming into the room to clear the cookies and coffee cups.  
“Tell me something,” she sighed. “You don’t know the half of it.”

The Board wasn’t happy that the first meeting Krystal ever organized as a CEO was about firing almost all of them. Even though they all complained loudly, she would not budge and hand them over the newly constructed documents. They all signed it with a grim expression – except for Evans. Krystal would have expected him to throw a tantrum, like a little kid, but he was so angry that she wouldn’t be surprised if he actually smashed one of the coffee mugs against the wall. He didn’t – sadly enough, it would’ve been an actual show – but he was furious, telling her that she betrayed him, that they had a deal, that the Vice-President position was his and that she wasn’t able to fire him without actually doing anything against the rules of the company.  
Krystal had let him scream at her without even flinching. When he was done, she stood up. Evans sat down again, imposed by her static appearance.  
“You are right. We did make a deal,” she admitted, causing another round of mutters go through the group. She waited until it died down. “But, if I remember correctly, the document says that if I become the CEO, you will prevent anyone from trying to vote me out of this position. I do not remember agreeing to you leading the action against me, calling in a secretive Board meeting to vote.”  
When her gaze fell upon Evans, he had turned sickly white.  
“B-but, I-I-I-” he stammered, not able to come up with an excuse. “How do you know?”  
“But you did it anyway. So did the rest of you. You all voted against me, except for Mitchell here. That’s why Mitchell does not have to leave,” she went on, ignoring his question. “Don’t take it personally, gentlemen. Each of you is a formidable business man and I am sure you will find another job in no time, just not at Jung Internationals. It’s important for me to have people around me whom I can trust, and you lot just simply aren’t it. Especially you, Evans. I swear to God, even if you hadn’t voted against me, I would have fired you. You’re simply a pain in the ass.  
And as I have enough evidence right now to fire you officially, I will. After this meeting, you have to clear out your offices immediately. Your last pay-check will arrive at the end of this month. I wish you all the best. It has been a pleasure to work with you.”  
With angry murmurs, the men signed the contracts and flung it back at her head before walking out, muttering that she was a crazy bitch. As if she cared.

Eventually, only Krystal and Mitchell were left. Silence settled between them. She turned around to him. He watched her with his milky blue eyes, a soft smile on his face.  
“You stopped them from voting me out,” she said. It was more a stating than a question, but Mitchell got the hint.  
“I told you that you had my support, my dear,” he replied. “And when I promise something, I keep to it.”  
Krystal smiled and sat down. She ran with her fingers through her hair, untangled a knot and bound it back in a ponytail. Unconsciously, she rubbed over the place of her tattoo, knowing that Amber’s name was there.  
“Can I really not recruit you for the VP spot? I’d love to have you as my second,” she said. Mitchell laughed.  
“You’d have to choose another one in a few years’ time. I’m worth the most as a member in the Board, so I can have your back. It’s better if you choose someone of your own age, someone with a lot of stamina and who has your back.”  
Krystal sighed and leaned with her chin on her hands.  
“It’s going to be hard to revive the Board with new people whom I trust. I don’t like that many people here. And I used to think a lot of the Board were trustable, but I was proved wrong,” she muttered. Mitchell bowed down to her, signing that she should get closer too. Krystal did as she was told.  
“You know, to create the best Board, you don’t choose people whom you trust. You choose people whom you can shape. Shape them like your father shaped you, and no one will dare or even want to offend you. Try youngsters. Hell, put an intern there, or someone who just got off college. You can be surprised to see what kind of modern ideas those kids can come up with.”   
Krystal stared to grin.  
“You’re incredible, do you know that?”  
Mitchell bowed back and shrugged.  
“It’s the same advice I gave your father thirty years ago. His reign has lasted so long because he chose the right people. It worked back then and it will work now, I promise.”  
“Thank you. And even though I will make a complete stranger my Vice-President soon, just know that you will always have priority,” she said. Mitchell smiled lovingly and took her hand.  
“I know, my child, I know.”

It took Krystal a few weeks to create the new Board. In the meantime, Jung Internationals felt like nothing had changed, besides that she had to do some extra work that normally the Board would do. Now that everything had settled down again, the company operated better than ever.  
The new members of the board included Mitchell’s personal assistant, Tiffany Hwang, the girl who had come to her after her speech to congratulate her and Amber on their relationship, as well as her sister Jessica, who had agreed upon taking in one of the spots until Krystal had found someone better to replace her. Her sister hadn’t been exactly thrilled to get back into the company again, but had eventually said yes due to the pleading of her sister. She had also chosen two youngers, Johnny Seo and Brian Kang, both just out of college. Brian was one of Jessica’s recommendation, since he had been her junior when she had been a trainee. Why he had given up his music career to join Jung Internationals had been a mystery, but he was an excellent candidate.  
As Vice President she chose one of the young people who had started at the company at the same she had, a bloke called Jackson Wang. They had climbed up together, but as Krystal rose faster and further, he got stuck a little lower, despite still trying his very best to do good. She knew him well and knew that he would be of good help. Krystal would’ve preferred to have Mitchell as her VP but he declined her even after she asked another time. Still, she was content with her new team.

It took a few months before Jung Internationals was completely back on track. It took a while to make her new team work efficiently with each other and gain the lost profit back during the campaign time, but it had been all worth it. In fact, Krystal enjoyed the CEO life more than anything. She loved the good responses she got and how Jung Internationals seemed to make more money every passing month.  
Krystal couldn’t get any happier it seemed. Only recently, Amber had permanently moved into her place. It had been an enormous undertaking, since as well as the animals as the music instruments had to be moved. The few rooms that Krystal was using as storage were cleared so Amber could work there and there would be some more space for her to stuff her stuff. Making place in her drawer wasn’t too difficult, since most of Amber’s clothes were already at her place.  
Her girlfriend sold her own apartment within two weeks and it felt like they were living a dream. The only thing was missing now was something that Krystal didn’t allow herself to think of at night, but her internet browser history told her something else. The only thing she had been googling for the past few months were rings and wedding dresses.  
If only, if only… Krystal decided not to push it, but that didn’t mean she hoped for it to happen soon.


	35. Epilogue

**_ONE YEAR LATER_  
—————————————————————————————————————————**

Saturday mornings were usually spend baking goods, or cooking a delicious lunch. That morning, they had made extremely sweet gummy bears – of course, Amber’s idea – which had actually turned out pretty well, even though they looked more like deformed jelly beans than actual bears. Krystal let the bear-shape up to Haribo, at least the taste was delicious.  
Saturday afternoons were spend watching the movies Krystal hadn’t seen yet, the classics that everyone just needed to have watched. Amber had once called her a ‘movie barbarian’ because she hadn’t seen Les Misérables – honestly who even has time to watch that stupid movie? – which had been the beginning of a new tradition. Amber had made her watch Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Star Trek, Pirates of the Caribbean, Les Mis, Terminator, Transformers, the Titanic, The Godfather, the Wizard of Oz, To Kill a Mockingbird, Jaws and literally every Disney movie there was – even those who weren’t on Netflix.  
Their evenings were spend cooking together too, this time one of their favorite dishes. On a rare occasion, they went out to eat something, but it was more fun to let macaroni and cheese burn together than it was to order it super fancy in some sort of restaurant.

That was their ideal Saturday. And Krystal had done all of those things today. Only, mostly without Amber… and she didn’t like one bit of it.

Amber had left late in the morning, around an hour of eleven after the gummy bears. As Krystal waited for the jelly to cool down, Amber had taken her stuff and pressed a kiss on her cheek, telling her that she’d be home late. She didn’t even have time to respond to her before she left.  
After that, her day had just been dull without Amber. The reason why she took the weekend off was because of her girlfriend, not because she liked watching movies by her own or cook by her own.  
Of course, there was nothing she could do. Now that Luna was getting a comeback, the company wanted Amber’s help again to create a cute, fluffy concept for her next album. She was hired to write all the songs and for the past few days, all she had done was write and compose and record. Even on her free days, Amber liked to go back to her room and play piano until her fingers were sore.  
Krystal knew that this behavior would only last for a few weeks, until all the songs were done and all Luna had to do was record them at the studio. Still, she couldn’t help to miss her.

Krystal was already in bed when the front door opened. She was faintly aware that her girlfriend came in, only realizing fully when she heard the high-pitched baby voice call for Jack Jack. The dog gave a small bark, causing some laughter to arise.  
“I’ll cuddle with you first thing tomorrow, okay? Gotta cuddle the Princess first.”  
The dog huffed almost in annoyance. She heard footsteps towards the bedroom. The light sprang on, although she dimmed it immediately again until a low volume. Krystal pretended to be asleep a little longer, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of waking up immediately. She tried to lay as still as she could, as she felt Amber bow over her and place a kiss on her cheek. Amber sighed and bowed back down.  
She heard the zipper of her jacket go down and the ruffling of clothes against skin before the blankets were lifted up and the mattress next to hers bowed by the weight of her girlfriend. As soon as the lights were shut off again, Krystal rolled over, trapping Amber with her arms and her legs.  
“I knew you weren’t asleep, you’re such a light sleeper,” she heard her chuckle. Krystal couldn’t help it to grin. She opened her eyes, seeing her lover for the first time that day.  
“Where have you been all day? It’s past midnight.”  
“I have been at Luna’s,” Amber replied with a shrug. Krystal squinted her eyes.  
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d think that you’d be cheating on me, staying away so late. You’d have such a good excuse, like ‘I was working on some stuff and it got late’ whilst in fact you just had sex with her.”  
The short haired woman rolled her eyes and bowed down to kiss her lips. Krystal smiled during the kiss and couldn’t stop even after it had ended.  
“Of course not, dumbass. It just took a while because she thought my lyrics weren’t cheesy enough.”  
“They weren’t cheesy enough? Aren’t you like, always thinking of me whilst writing love songs? How come they aren’t cheesy? I am cheesy!” she obliged. Amber chuckled.  
“No, you are not cheesy. You are whiney. And I cannot exactly write lyrics that says: ‘my girlfriend keeps nagging for me to give her a piggyback ride’ or ‘I’m not allowed to go out until I kissed my girlfriend goodbye’.”  
Krystal pouted and rolled away from her, pretending to be annoyed until Amber moved back against her.  
“I’m still mad at you that you only turned up after midnight. Like, did you really have to practice for so long? You can do it tomorrow.”  
Amber laid her arm over Krystal’s waist and pulled her closer against her body so she could place a kiss on her jawline. Habitually, she immediately exposed her neck a little bit more.  
“I’m sorry,” Amber muttered, as she started to place a feather light kiss behind her ear, lowering with every kiss. “Will you-.. forgive-.. me?”  
Every time Amber’s soft lips connected with the soft skin of her neck, she had to chuckle a little bit.  
“I’m tired,” she complained.  
“So, you’re rejecting me?”  
“Maybe. Prove that you’re worth not rejecting.”  
She felt Amber grin. Krystal watched her as she took off her shirt, revealing her Nike’s sports bra. Without even thinking, she bit down on her lip. Even after one and a half year of dating, she was still in awe of her girlfriend in her bra. It was just a gift from the gods.  
Amber moved until she was hovering over her. A smug grin played with the corners of her lips when she kissed Krystal. She brought her hips down, grinding down over hers, causing the brunette to moan instantly. Krystal’s hands travelled all over her body, from the opening of her jogging pants to her belly that still had the slightest hint of abs and to her muscled back.  
Krystal cupped Amber’s face with her hands. When she wanted to take off Amber’s bra, her hands slid over her shoulder. She frowned when her fingers went over the little patch of fabric that seemed to be stuck on her girlfriend’s skin. She ran over it for a few times, eventually figuring out that it was a big band aid.  
Amber tried to take her hand away from the spot when she realized that Krystal had discovered the band aid, but Krystal knew better than to let Amber have her way. She pulled back from the kiss.  
“What’s that?” she asked. Amber sighed, rubbed her eyes for a moment and eventually looked away.  
“It’s a tattoo. Just got it today,” she muttered unwillingly.  
Krystal let out a snort and looked at her in disbelief.  
“Do I really not have a say in what comes on your body?” she asked. “I want to prevent you from bad choices.”  
Amber rose her eyebrows and grinned.  
“Like, not really. I mean, I can do whatever I like, even though you’re my girlfriend, you have nothing to say in what comes on my body... And when did I ever make a bad choice for a tattoo?”  
“You tattooed Charmander on your arm,” she replied.  
“I repeat: when did I ever make a bad choice for a tattoo?” Amber laughed. Krystal rolled her eyes and shook her head to express her disagreement.  
“Can I see it? I already know you have it so there’s no use in keeping it hidden from me.”  
Amber thought for a moment, then shook her head.  
“Nope, no, you cannot see it yet.”  
Krystal frowned offendedly and immediately took her hands back from her girlfriend. Amber smiled apologetically.  
“And why not?”  
“Because this tattoo is special.”  
“Bullshit. Let me see it,” Krystal muttered annoyed. “You always let me see your new tattoos first. Why is this one different? I feel deprived.”   
Amber shrugged and rolled off Krystal, landing back in the sheets.  
“It just is, believe me,” she laughed. “Stop asking and just have sex with me, damned woman!”  
“You know, I broke up with Kai so I wouldn’t be pressured into sex anymore, you are disappointing me,” Krystal said. “I don’t get why this tattoo is so important. You always let me see them. Is it because it’s a stupid one?”  
“No, it’s not stupid, I think it’s not stupid,” Amber laughed. “Stop asking!”  
“No! And you also told me that Charmander wasn’t stupid but it really is, you know. Who on earth gets a Pokémon tattooed on their body?”  
Amber started to laugh nervously as she shook her head.  
“I do and be glad it isn’t Pikachu! That’s even more stupid.”  
“So you admit that it’s dumb?” Krystal chuckled.  
“No, Charmander is cool! It’s just that you cannot see it, I am not ready yet.”  
Krystal crossed her arms in front of her chest and huffed.  
“What is there to be ready for? You already tattooed it. I promise I will not laugh if it’s idiotic.”  
Amber sighed and buried her face in the pillows. She moaned through the cushions but eventually got up and immediately stood up from the bed. Krystal watched her as she walked back to her jacket – which she had carelessly thrown over one of the chairs – and open the pockets. She returned to bed with something clutched in her fist, but she was unable to see it. Amber laid on her belly, turning her back to Krystal.  
“Take it off then,” she muttered. “The surprise is ruined anyway.”  
Krystal rolled her eyes.  
“You know I don’t care about surprises,” she said, as she started to peel off the band aid. Her girlfriend winced when she got the edge and ripped it off her skin with one fluid motion.  
“Don’t be such a baby,” Krystal laughed. Amber muttered something in the pillow that she was unable to grasp.  
The skin under the band aid was still red and a bit swollen, exactly like her skin had been when she had gotten her tattoo. At first sight, it didn’t look like anything special. Just some curly written words, a small sentence. In fact, question, she noticed, since there was a question mark at the end.  
The dimmed light made it hard to read and Krystal had to brighten it before she was able to make out what was tattooed on her girlfriend’s shoulder blade.  
Her breath got stuck in her throat when she finally made out the question. She wrapped her hands over her mouth, even though she wasn’t able to produce any sounds. For a solid few seconds, Krystal could only stare at the words ‘Will you marry me?’ on Amber’s back. Like a statue, she just sat there, watching, unable to say or do anything. Amber eventually turned around to see her expression.  
With a weak smile, she opened her fist, showing her the little, navy blue, velvety box. She opened it, revealing two rings. They were both made of silver, Amber’s being a little broader than hers and whilst Krystal’s had a larger diamond on the top, her girlfriend’s was inlaid with smaller ones. They were simple but incredibly beautiful; exactly the kind of style Amber knew Krystal would like.  
“I told you that you’d spoil the surprise,” Amber chuckled. Krystal managed to look up at her, her eyes still wide of shock. She slowly lowered her hands, but more than a squeaky peep didn’t leave her throat when she tried to talk.  
Suddenly, her eyes started to tear up. Within a few seconds, tears were rolling down her cheeks like waterfalls and she wasn’t able to stop them. In vain, she tried to wipe them away, but more were falling and she couldn’t get herself to quit crying.  
Amber took her hand, pinching it reassuringly.  
“I wanted to hire a photographer and perhaps like, go to the beach or something, but I suppose it doesn’t really matter where or how I ask it,” Amber muttered, hoping to get the conversation going. “So.. will- will you marry me, then? Would kind of suck if you said ‘no’ because I got the tattoo and all, but-”  
“Y-y-yes,” Krystal forced out. “Of course I will.”  
Amber started to grin like crazy. Krystal was still in shock when her girlfriend threw her body upon hers, causing them to both fall backwards into the sheets. She was showered with kisses and the beautiful, elegant ring was put on her finger. She wasn’t used to wearing a ring and the cold metal felt weird against her finger. It still felt unreal; like a dream, which was dangerously real. Krystal was scared she could wake up at any moment. In a trance, she shoved Amber’s ring around her finger.  
Amber had her embraced in a hug and was busy pressing kisses on her cheek.  
“I-.. love-.. you-..” she muttered, over and over again, until her skin felt raw from the kisses. When Amber kissed her lips, Krystal slightly woke up again and kissed her back. When they broke apart, she kept Amber’s face in her hands. For the first time since the proposal, she let an enormous grin consume her face.  
“What did you think about Mrs. Amber Jung?” she asked. Amber started to laugh.  
“Mrs. Krystal Liu is better,” she replied. Krystal faked a shocked expression.  
“No, we really cannot do that. It would look so weird if I was the CEO of Jung Internationals whilst I’m called Krystal Liu. No, you have to take my surname, it won’t matter for you! Plus, Amber Jung sounds better than Krystal Liu. Krystal and Amber Jung, don’t you think that’s cute?”  
They both started to laugh. Amber wrapped her arm around Krystal and pulled her against her chest.  
“You know what, I don’t even care. I just want to marry you.”  
Krystal looked up, smiling. She pressed a soft kiss against her lips.  
“And you will.”  
Amber wiggled her eyebrows.  
“Now you’ll never get rid of me anymore.”  
“I can handle that, you know. I know you’re actually just a big wuss inside, you know.”  
They laughed and kissed again.  
“I love you,” Amber muttered afterwards.  
“I know. And I love you too.”


End file.
